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NYU IFA LIBRARY

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S OF A

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

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PRESENTED BY

THE SOCIETY FOR THE LIBRARIES

By the same Author
U n i form with this Work :

OSIRIS AND THE EGYPTIAN
RESURRECTION. 2 Volumes
With coo Illustrations

LONDON: PHILIP LEE WARNER
PUBLISHER TO THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LTD.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD:

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI, SCRIBE
AND TREASURER OF THE TEMPLES
OF EGYPT, ABOUT B.C. 1450

IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME I

00 V- ^

T \\r\e cLea^A..

HE PAPYRUS OF ANI

A REPRODUCTION IN FACSIMILE
EDITED, WITH HIEROGLYPHIC

TRANSCRIPT, TRANSLATION AND

INTRODUCTION, BY SIR E. A. WALLIS BUDGE
M.A., LITT.D., KEEPER OF THE EGYPTIAN AND
ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUM. PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION OF
THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

LONDON: THE MEDICI SOCIETY, LTD.
NEW YORK: G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS

Fine Arts

P3^555

.N-3

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Cobv Ol

/^^^i, ..!:_.

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
1913

PREFACE

The Papyrus of Ani, which was acquired by the Trustees
of the British Museum in 1888, is the largest, the most
perfect, and the best illuminated of all the papyri con-
taining copies of the Theban Recension of the Book of the
Dead. Its rare Vignettes, Hymns, and Chapters, and its
descriptive Rubrics, render it of unique importance for the
study of the Book of the Dead, and it holds a very high
place among the funerary papyri that were written between
B.C. 1500 and B.C. 1350. Although it contains less than
one-half of the Chapters which formed the Great Corpus of
texts written for the benefit of the dead, we may conclude
that Ani's exalted official position, as Chancellor of the
ecclesiastical revenues and endowments of all the Temples
of Thebes and Abydos, will have ensured the inclusion of
all the Chapters which an educated Egyptian deemed
essential for salvation. The Papyrus of Ani is, in short,
typical of the Book of the Dead in vogue among the
Theban nobles of his time.

The first edition of the Facsimile of the Papyrus was
issued in 1890, and was exhausted rapidly. A second
edition of the Facsimile appeared in 1894, and a few months
later the Trustees issued a stout quarto volume containing
a detailed description of the Papyrus, an English transla-
tion with notes, and a general Introduction, treating of the
history of the Book, of the Dead, and giving a brief account
of the religious beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians.

In recent years there has been a growing demand for
a Facsimile of the Papyrus of Ani in a form convenient for
use by beginners and students, and at a reasonable price.
As the second edition of the Facsimile in folio, and the
edition of the accompanying volume of English text, are
now practically exhausted, the Trustees of the British
Museum were asked to sanction the issue of the present
edition. This they have done, and they have also
permitted the use of the black and white vignettes which

A 8 8 4 5

Preface

appeared in the text volume, and the reprinting of any
sections which were necessary.

Vol. I of the present edition contains : —

a. The general Introduction, with chapters on the
History of the Book of the Dead and on the
Egyptian Religion.

b. A full description of the Papyrus of Ani, plate
by plate.

c. The Coloured Facsimile in 37 folding plates.

Vol. II contains a complete transcript of the Papyrus
in hieroglyphic type, with English translations, notes, etc.,
and an Index.

In preparing the material for these volumes a new copy
of the text has been made, and supplementary Chapters
and Sections have been added from the funerary papyri
that have been acquired by the Trustees since 1892.
The translations have been rewritten, and the notes have
been corrected and amplified in the light of recent dis-
coveries. The greater part of the Introduction has alsa
been rewritten, and the entire work thus becomes truly a
" New Edition," fully revised to the date of issue.

E. A. Wallis Budge.

British Museum,

August 12th, 1 91 3.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME I

Preface
Introduction :

The Recensions of the Book of the Dead
The Legend of Osiris...
Appendix I — Hymn to Osiris

„ 11. — Osiris and his Principal Forms under

THE XVIIIth Dynasty...

The Doctrine of Eternal Life

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods"

Appendix. List of the Gods whose Names were Recited

BY THE Deceased to Perfect his Spirit-Soul
The Abode of the Blessed ...
The Gods of the Book of the Dead
The Principal Geographical and Mythological Places

in the Book of the Dead
Funeral Ceremonies ...
The Papyrus of Ani, its Date and Contents...
Description of the Plates ...
List of Hymns and Chapters

Page

I
52
59

61
66
99

125
130
161

202
207
217
231

The Papyrus of Ani. Reproduction in 37 Coloured Plates at end

INTRODUCTION

THE RECENSIONS OF THE BOOK OF THE

DEAD

The Recensions of the great body of religious com-
positions, which were drawn up for the use of dead kings,
nobles, priests, and others, and which form the Book
of the Dead of the Ancient Egyptians may be thus
summarized : —

I. The Heliopolitan Recension, i.e., that which
was edited by the priests of the College of Anu (the On
of the Bible, and the Heliopolis of the Greeks), and
which was based upon a series of texts now lost. It is
found cut in hieroglyphs upon the walls of the chambers
and corridors of the pyramid tombs ^ of certain kings ^ of
the Vth and Vlth dynasties. It represents the system of
theology promulgated by the priests of Ra the Sun-god,
but all the essential elements in it, with the exception
of the solar doctrines, are derived from the primitive,
indigenous, and probably predynastic, Egyptians. In the
texts of the later kings we find that the priests of Ra
were obliged to acknowledge the supremacy of Osiris,
whose cult, even under the earliest dynasties, was very
general in Upper and Lower Egypt.

Under the Xlth and Xllth dynasties sections of the
Pyramid Texts, with titles in which they are styled
" Chapters," were written in cursive hieroglyphs upon
sarcophagi and coffins,^ and to these were added a number

^ Hence known as the " Pyramid Texts."

^ I.e., Unas, Teta, Pepi I, Mehti-em-sa-f, and Pepi II. Their
pyramids were cleared out by MM. Mariette and Maspero during the years
18S0-84, and the hieroglyphic texts were published, with a French trans-
lation, in Reciieil de Travanx, tt. III-XIV, Paris, 1882-93. A revised
edition of the text has been recently published by Sethe, Pyratfiiden/exie,
Leipzig, 1908-1910.

^ In the Xlth, Xllth, and Xlllth dynasties many monuments are
inscribed with sections of the Unas text. Thus 11. 206-69 ^.re found in
hieroglyphs upon the coffin of Amamu (British Museum, No. 6654 ;
VOL. I. B

The Papyrus of Ani

of Chapters which appear to have been composed during
the interval between the Vlth and Xlth dynasties. The
treatment of the older texts, and the character of the
newer texts may be studied in the excellent transcripts

see Birch, Egyptian Texts of the Earliest Period from the Coffin of
Amamu, 1886, Plates XVII-XX); 11. 206-14 ^^d 268-84 on the coffin of

, Apa-ankh, from Sakkarah (see Lepsius, Denhndler, II,

Bl. 99/^; Maspero, Eecueil, t. Ill, pp. 200 and 214 ff.); U. 206-10 and
268-89 on the coffin of Antef (see Lepsius, Denkmiiler, II, Bl. 145; Maspero,
Eeaieit, t. Ill, pj). 200, 214) ; 1. 206 on a coffin of Menthu-hetep at Berlin
(see Lepsius, Aelteste Texte, Bl. 5); 11. 269-94 on the sarcophagus of Heru-
hetep (see Maspero, Memoires, t. I, p. 144). A section is found on the
walls of the tomb of Queen Neferu (see Maspero, Recueil, t. Ill, pp. 201 ff. ;
Mimoires^ t. I, p. 134); other sections are found on the sarcophagus of

Z3 (I, Taka (see Lepsius, JDefikmiiler, II, BU. 147, 148; Maspero,

Guide au Visiteur, p. 224, No. 1053 ; Mhnoires, t. I, p. 134); 11. 5-8 occur

on the stele of Apa [J □ Ij (see Ledrain, Monuments Agyptiens de la Bibl.

Nationale, Paris, 1879, foil. ^4) i5)j ^- 166 ff. are found on the stele of Nehi
(see Mariette, Notice des Moti. a JBoulaq, p. 190 ; Maspero, Reaieil, t. Ill,

p. 195); and 11. 576-83 on the coffin of Sebek-Aa

(see Lepsius, Aelteste Texte, Bl. 37 ; Maspero, Reaieil, t. IV, p. 68). In
the XVIIIth dynasty 1. 169 was copied on a wall in the temple of
Hatshepset at Der al-Bahari (see Diimichen, Hist. Inschriften, Bll. 25-37 ;
Maspero, Recueil, t. I, pp. 195 ff.) ; and copies of II. 379-99 occur in the
papyri of Mut-hetep (British Museum, No. looio) and Nefer-uben-f (Paris,
No. 3092. See Naville, Todtenbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 197 ; Aeg. Zcitschrift,
Bd. XXXII, p. 3 ; and Naville, Einleitung, pp. 39, 97). In the XXVIth
dynasty ^ye find texts of the Vth dynasty repeated on the walls of the tomb
of Peta-Amen-apt, the chief kher-heb at Thebes (see Diimichen, Der
Grabpalast des Patuamenap in der Thebanischen Nekropolis, Leipzig,

1884-85) ; and also upon the papyrus written for the lady Sais

, about A.D. 200 (see Devdria, Catalogue des MSS. AgyptienSy

Paris, 1874, p. 170, No. 3155). Signor Schiaparelli's words are: —
" Esso ^ scritto in ieratico, di un tipo paleografico speciale : I'enorme
" abbondanza di segni espletivi, la frequenza di scgni o quasi demotici
" o quasi geroglifici, la sottigliczza di tutti, e I'incertezza con cui sono
" tracciati, che rivela una mano pili abituata a scrivere in greco che in
"egiziano, sono altrettanti caratteri del tipo ieratico del ])eriodo esclusiva-
" mente romano, a cui il nostro papiro api)artiene senza alcun dubbio.'
II Libro dei Funerali, p. 19. On Dev^ria's work in connection with this
MS., see Maspero, Le Rituel du sacrifice Funeral re (in Revue de VHistoire
des Religions, t. XV, p. 161).

Recensions of the Book of the Dead 3

made by M. Lacau from the coffins of Al-Barshah, and
published by him in Reaceil de Travatix, t. 26-27,
28-33.

II. The Theban Recension, which was commonly
written upon papyri and painted upon coffins in hiero-
glyphs and was divided into sections or chapters, each
of which had its distinct title but no definite place in
the series. The version was much used from the XV II Ith
to the XXI I nd dynasty. This Recension was also written
upon papyri in the hieratic character and in hieroglyphs.

III. The so-called Saite Recension, in which, at
some period, anterior probably to the XXV Ith dynasty,
the chapters were arranged in a definite order. It is
written upon coffins, papyri, etc., in hieroglyphs, and
in hieratic and in demotic, and it was much used from
the XXV Ith dynasty to the end of the Ptolemaic
Period.

The title of Book of the Dead has been usually given
by Egyptologists to the Theban and Saite Recensions, but
in this Introduction the term is intended to include the
general body of religious texts which deal with the welfare
of the dead and their new life in the world beyond the
grave, and which are known to have existed and to have
been in use among the Egyptians from about 4000 B.C. to
the early centuries of the Christian era.

The Pyramid Texts represent the oldest form of the
Book of the Dead known to us, and although we have only
copies of them which were written for kings, and none
which were written for priests, officials, and private gentle-
men, it is not right to conclude from this fact that copies
were not made for persons other than kings and to seek to
make a distinction between the Heliopolitan and the later
Recensions of the Book of the Dead. The inastabah tombs
of the IVth dynasty prove that the Liturgy of Funerary
Offerings and the Book of Opening the Mouth were recited
for the benefit of ecclesiastical and civil officials, and there
is no reason for doubting that copies of sections of the
Pyramid Texts were made for their benefit.

The earliest tombs found in Egypt prove that the
primitive Egyptians disposed of their dead partly by
burial, and partly by burning, but there are no grounds

B 2

4 The Papyrus of Ani

whatever for assuming- that all the dead were buried and
burned, for from time immemorial it has always been the
custom in Africa, and still is in many parts of that con-
tinent, to allow the bodies of all except kings, g-overnors,
nobles, and men of high rank, to be devoured by wild
animals, or to be consumed by the myriads of flesh-destroying
insects which infest the ground. The bodies which were
buried were either dismembered or buried whole. Bodies
which were buried in graves were laid on their left sides
with their heads to the south, and they were sometimes
wrapped in skins of animals, or reeds, or grass mats.
Bodies were cut in pieces for two reasons, to save space in
a country where land was peculiarly valuable, and to prevent
the spirits of the dead from returning and re-occupying
their old bodies. In cases where fire was used in disposing
of the dead, the bodies were only partially burnt, and the
bones were collected and thrown into a shallow pit, care
being taken to keep the head and the hands together. At
this period it is certain that offerings were made to the dead,
and it is quite clear that both those to whom the offerings
were made, and those who made them, held very definite
views about the future life in the Other World. They were
quite certain that men did not perish finally when they died,
and that some part of a man departed after death to some
place where he would renew his life in some form, according
to the dictates of some divine beinof.

The inhabitants of Egypt who disposed of their dead
by burial and burning could not write, and therefore they
could not have possessed any collection of religious texts
which could be regarded as the foundations of the Book of
the Dead now known to us, and it is most unlikely that they
made use of any religious formulae when they buried or
burned their dead. There are many passages in the Book of
the Dead containing references to the burial customs of the
primitive Egyptians, which indicate that the aborigines
possessed a low form of religious belief They cannot,
however, in any way be regarded as the founders of the
Book of the Dead, because that work presupposes the
existence of ideas which the aborigines did not possess, and
refers to an elaborate system of sepulture which they never
practised. Whatever views may be held as to the origin
of the Egyptians, it is quite certain that the aborigines of

Influence of the Cult of Osiris 5

Egypt employed a system of sepulture which was quite
different from that which was in use amongr their latest
predynastic and their earliest dynastic descendants.

From what has been said above it is clear that the
earliest inhabitants of Egypt made no attempt to mummify
their dead in the strict sense of the term. Still, as
Dr. Fouquet has found traces of bitumen in some predynastic
skeletons, we may assume that the primitive Egyptians
would have taken far more elaborate precautions to preserve
their dead had they possessed the necessary knowledge.
As soon as the Egyptians began to mummify their dead,
in other words, to preserve the body in a complete form,
they also began to perform funerary ceremonies of a
symbolic nature, and to recite formulae and prayers which
were believed to cause great benefit to the dead. The
greatest importance was attached to such ceremonies and
formulae, for it was thought that they would endow the
dead body with power to resist corruption, would ensure
it a renewed and beatified existence with the gods, and
would preserve it for ever. The great change which took
place in the religious views of the Egyptians a little before
the beginning of dynastic history was, I believe, due entirely
to the rise and spread of the cult of Osiris throughout
Egypt. Whether it was introduced into Egypt by a people
coming from the shores of the Mediterranean, or by a
Libyan tribe, or by " proto-Semites " from the east or
south-east, or whether it was of purely native growth, need
not concern us here. What is all-important to note is
that the teachers of the cult of Osiris preached that the dead
body of a man was a sacred thing, and that it was not to
be devoured by men or beasts, or burnt, or mutilated. On
the contrary, it must, if the wish of Osiris was to be
considered, be taken the greatest care of, and embalmed, and
buried in a carefully concealed tomb. But why .'* The
preservation of the body was of vital importance, because
the dogma of Osiris taught that from it would spring the
translucent, transparent, immaterial, refulgent and glorious
envelope in which the Spirit-soul of the deceased would
take up its abode with all his mental and spiritual attributes.

The evidence derived from the enormous mass of new
material which we owe to the all-important discoveries of
inastabah tombs and pyramids by M. Maspero, and to his

6 The Papyrus of Ani

publication of the early religious texts, proves beyond all
doubt that all the essential texts comprised in the Book of
the Dead are, in one form or another, far older than the
period of Mena (Menes), the first historical kino- of Egypt. ^
Certain sections, indeed, appear to belong to the Predynastic
Period.

The earliest texts bear within themselves proofs, not
only of having been composed, but also of having been
revised, or edited, long before the copies known to us were
made, and, judging from many passages in the copies
inscribed in hieroglyphs upon the pyramids of Unas (the
last king of the Vth dynasty, about 3^33 i^c), and Teta,
Pepi I., Mehti-em-sa-f. and Pepi II (kings of the Vlth
dynasty, about 3300-3166 B.C.), it would seem that, even
at that remote date, the scribes were perplexed and hardly
understood the texts which they had before them.^ The
most moderate estimate makes certain sections of the Book

^ " Les textes des Pyramides nous reportent si loin dans le

*' passe que je n'ai aucun moyen de les dater que de dire qu'elles etaient
" deja vieilles cinq mille ans avant notre ere. Si extraordinaire que
" paraisse ce chiffre, il faudra bien nous habituer k le considerer conime
*' repr^sentant une evaluation a minima toutes les fois qu'on voudra
" rechercher les origines de la religion Lgyptienne. La religion et les
" textes qui nous la font connaitre etaient dej^ constitues avant la P*
" dynastie : c'est ^ nous de nous mettre, pour les comprendre, dans I'etat
" d'esprit ou etait, il y a plus de sept mille ans, le peuple qui les a constitues.
" Bien entendu, je ne parle ici que des syst^nies theologiques : si nous
" voulions remonter jusqu'a I'origine des elements qu'ils ont mis en oeuvre,
" il nous faudrait reculer vers des ages encore plus lointains." Maspero,
La Religion Egyptienne (in Revue de PHistoire des Religions, t. XIX, p. 12;
and in Etudes de Mythologie et d'ArcMologie Egyptiennes, t. II, p. 236).
Compare also " dass die einzelnen Texte selbst damals schon einer alten
" heiligen Litteratur angehorten, unterliegt keinen Zweifel, sie sind in jeder
" Hinsicht alterthiimlicher als die altestcn uns erhaltenen Denkmaler. Sie
" gehoren in cine fiir uns ' vorhistorische ' Zeit und man wird ihnen gewiss
*' kein Unrecht anthun, wenn man sie bis in das vicrtc Jahrtausend hinein
" versetzt." Erman, Das Verhiiltniss des aegyptischen zu den semitischen
Sprachen, in Z.D.M.G., Bd. XLVI, p. 94.

- " Le nombre des prieres et des formules dirigees contre les animaux
" venimeux montre quel effroi le serpent et le scorpion inspirait aux
" Egyptiens. Beaucoup d'entre elles sont ecrites dans une langue et avec
" des combinaisons de signes qui ne paraissent plus avoir (^te complete-
" ment comprises des scribes qui les copiaient sous Ounas et sous Pepi.
" Je crois, quant h. moi, qu'elles appartiennent au plus vieux rituel et
" remontent au deK\ du rl-gne de Mini." Maspero, La Religion Egyptienne
{\n Revue de I'Histoire des Religions, i. XII, p. 125). See also Recueil de
Travaux, t. IV, p. 62.

Antiquity of the Book of the Dead 7

of the Dead as known from these tombs older than three
thousand years before Christ. We are in any case justified
in estimating- the earliest form of the work to be contem-
poraneous with the foundation of the civilization^ which we
call Egyptian in the valley of the Nile.^ To fix a chrono-
logical limit for the arts and civilization of Egypt is absolutely
impossible.^

The oldest form or edition of the Book of the Dead as
we have received it supplies no information whatever as to
the period when it was compiled ; but a copy of the hieratic
text inscribed upon a coffin of Queen Khnem-Nefert, the
wife of Menthu-hetep, a king of the Xlth dynasty,* about
2500 B.C., made by the late Sir J. G. Wilkinson,^ informs us
that the Chapter which, according to the arrangement of
Lepslus, bears the number LXIV,^ was discovered in the
reign of Hesep-ti,"^ the fifth king of the 1st dynasty, about
4266 B.C. On this coffin are two copies of the Chapter,
the one immediately following the other. In the Rubric to
the first the name of the king during whose reign the
Chapter is said to have been *' found " is given as Menthu-
hetep, which, as Goodwin first pointed out,^ is a mistake

1 " So sind wir gezwungen, wenigstens die ersten Grundlagen des
" Buches deii Anfangen der Aegyptischen Civilisation beizuniessen." See
Naville, Das Aegyptische Todtenbuch (Einleitung), Berlin, 1886, p. 18.

2 The date of Mena is variously given as 5869 B.C. (Champollion),
5004 B.C. (Mariette), 4455 B.C. (Brugsch), 3893 B.C. (Lieblein), 5510 B.C.
(Petrie), 3892 B.C. (Lepsius), 3623 B.C. (Bunsen).

^ See Chabas, Aeg. Zeitschrift, 1865, p. 95. On the subject of the
Antiquity of Egyptian CiviHzation generally,^ see Chabas, Etudes sur
VAntiquite Historique d'apres les Sources Egyptiennes, Paris, 1873 —
Introduction, p. 9, and see especially de Morgan, Recherches^ Paris, 1897;
L'Age de la pierre et les Metaux, Paris, 1896 ; Les Premieres Civilisations,
Paris, 1909.

* The name of the queen and her titles are given thus : —

^ It was presented to the British Museum in 1834, and is now in the
Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities. A facsimile of this copy
is published by Budge, Egyptia^i Hieratic Papyri, London, 1910.

6 Todtenbuch, Bl. 23-25.

"* =f5^ ( L ' \\ ) the OvffacjiaU v'lo's of Manetho. The name is now

generally read Semti.

^ Aeg. Zeitschrift, 1866, p. 54.

8 The Papyrus of Ani

for Men-kau-Ra/ the fourth king of the IVth dynasty,
about 3633 B.C. ;^ but in the Rubric to the second the
king's name is given as Hesep-ti. Thus it appears that in
the period of the Xlth dynasty it was beheved that the
Chapter might ahernatively be as old as the time of the
1st dynasty. Further, it is given to Hesep-ti in papyri of
the XX I St dynasty,^ a period when particular attention was
paid to the history of the Book of the Dead ; and it thus
appears that the Egyptians of the New Empire believed
the Chapter to date from the more remote period. To
quote the words of Chabas, the Chapter was regarded as
being " very ancient, very mysterious, and very difficult to
understand " already fourteen centuries before our era.*

The Rubric on the coffin of Queen Khnem-Nefert,
which ascribes the Chapter to Hesep-ti, states that " this
" Chapter was found in the foundations beneath the
" Dweller in the Hen^iti Boat by the foreman of the builders
" in the time of the king of the South and North, Hesep-ti,
" whose word is truth " ;^ the Nebseni Papyrus says that
" this Chapter was found in the city of Khemenu
'' (Hermopolis) on a block of alabaster written in letters of

^ See Guieyesse, Rituel Ftmiraire Agyptien, chapitre 64^, Paris, 1876,
p. 10, note 2.

^ The late recension of the Book of the Dead pubhshed by Lepsius

also gives the king's name as Men-kau-Ra ( O ttli^ LJ 1 {Todienbuch,

Bl. 25, 1. 31). In the same recension the CXXXth Chapter is ascribed to

the reign of Hesep-ti [!— I— 1''^ '1 (Bl. 53, 1. 28). See also Budge,

The Chapters of Comitig Forth by -Day, Chapter LXIV.

* Naville, Todtenbiich (Einleitung), pp. 33, 139.

* Chabas, Voyage d'un Egypticn, p. 46. According to M. Naville
(Einleitung, p. 138), who follows Chabas's opinion, this Chapter is an
abridgment of the whole Book of the Dead ; and it had, even though it
contained not all the religious doctrine of the Egyptians, a value which was
equivalent to the whole.

1 y^s ( L'\\ I- See Goodwin, Aeg. Zeitschrijt, 1866, p. 55,

/W\A/NA

and compare the reading from the Cairo Papyrus of Mes-em-neter given by
Naville i^Todtenbuch, II, p. 139).

Herutataf, the Son of King Khufu 9

" lapis-lazuli, under the feet of the god" ;^ and the Turin
Papyrus (XXV I th dynasty or later) adds that the name of

the finder was Heru-ta-ta-f, Vk iziS "^-^^ ^ ' ^^^ ^°" '^^
Khufu or Cheops,^ the second king of the IVth dynasty,
about 37SS B.C., who was at the time making a tour of
inspection of the temples. Birch^ and Naville^ consider
the Chapter one of the oldest in the Book of the Dead ;
the former basing his opinion on the Rubric, and the latter
upon the evidence derived from the contents and character
of the text : but Maspero, while admitting the great age of
the Chapter, does not attach any very great importance to
the Rubric as fixing any exact date for its composition.^

^ See Budge, T/ie Chapters of Comitig Forth by Bay, Chapter LXIV.
- Lepsius, Todtenbuch, Bl. 25, 1. 31.

3 The most remarkable Chapter is the 64th It is one

" of the oldest of all, and is attributed, as already stated, to the epoch of

" King Gaga-Makheru [ !— I— j ^^ 1 , or Menkheres This

" Chapter enjoyed a high reputation till a late period, for it is found on
" a stone presented to General Peroffsky by the late Emperor Nicholas,
" which must have come from the tomb of Petemenophis,* in

" El-Assasif,t and was made during the XXVIth dynasty

" vSome more recent compiler of the Hermetic books has evidently para-
" phrased it for the Ritual of Turin." Bunsen, Egypt's Place in Universal
History, London, 1867, p. 142. The block of stone to which Dr. Birch
refers is described by Golenischeff, Emiitage Imperial, Inventaire de la
Collection E gyp tie nne. No. iioi,pp. 169, 170. There is an electrotype of
this stone in the British Museum (No. 29553). I have published a copy
of the texts on it (Chapters XXVI, XXXb, and LXIV) in my Chapters of
Corning Forth by Day, Vol. Ill, pp. 241 ff,, London, 1910. M. Maspero
thinks it was meant to be a " pretendu fac-simile " of the original slab,
which, according to the Rubric, was found in the temple of Thoth, Revue de
V Historic des Religions, t. xv, p. 299, and Etudes de Mythologie, t. I, p. 368.

^ Todte?ibuch (Einleitung), p. 139. Sir P. Renouf also held this opinion,
Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch., 1893, p. 6.

^ " On explique d'ordinaire cette indication comme une marque
" d'antiquite extreme ; on part de ce principe que le Livre des Morts est de
" composition relativement moderne, et qu'un scribe egyptien, nommant
" un roi des premieres dynasties memphites, ne pouvait entendre par la
*' qu'un personnage d'epoque tres reculee. Cette explication ne me parait
" pas etre exacte. En premier lieu, le chapitre LXIV se trouve deja sur

* '^•^■' A ^ n \ ' '/2 ' ^^ "chief reader," many of the inscriptions on whose
tomb have been published by Dlimichen, Der Grabpalast des Patuamenap ; Leipzig,
1884, 1885.

t I.e., Asasif al-Bahrtyah, or Asasif of the North, behind Der al-Bahari, on the western
bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes.

lo The Papyrus of Ani

Of Herutataf, the finder of the block of stone, we know
from later texts that he was considered to be a learned man,
and that his speech was only with difficulty to be under-
stood,^ and we also know the prominent part which he took
as a recognized man of letters in bringing to the Court of
his father Khufu the Sage Teta.^ It is then not improbable
that Herutatafs character for learninof may have sugro-ested
the connection of his name with the Chapter, possibly
as its literary reviser ; at all events as early as the period
of the Middle Empire, tradition associated him with it.

Passing from the region of native Egyptian tradition,
we touch firm ground with the evidence derived from the

" des monuments contemporains de la X*^ et de la XP dynastie, et n'etait
'' certainement pas nouveau au moment ou on ecrivait les copies les plus
" vieilles que nous en ayons aujourd'hui. Lorsqu'on le redigea sous sa
'■ forme actuelle, le regne de Mykerinos, et meme celui d'Housapaiti,
" ne devaient pas soulever dans I'esprit des indigenes la sensation de
" Tarchaismt; et du primitif: on avait pour rendre ces idees des expressions
" plus fortes, qui renvoyaient le lecteur au siecles des Sennteurs d'Horus, a
" la domination de Ra, aux ages ou les dieux regnaient sur I'Egypte."
Revue de VHistoire des Religions, t. XV, p. 299.

^ Chabas, Voyage, ■\^. 46; Wiedemann, Aegyptische Geschichte, p. 191.
In the Brit. Mus. Papyrus No. 10060 (Harris 500), Herutataf is mentioned
together with I-em-hetep as a well-known author, and the writer of the
dirge says : " I have heard the words of I-em-hetej) and of Herutataf,
" whose many and varied writings are said and sung ; but now where are
" their places ? " The hieratic text is published with a hieroglyphic
transcript by Maspero in Journal Asia tique, S^r. VH''"", t. XV, p. 404 ff.,
and Etudes Egvpdennes, t. I, p. 173; for English translations, see Trans.
Soc. Bibl. Arch., Vol. Ill, p. 386, and Records of the Past, ist ed., Vol. IV,
p. 117.

2 According to the Westcar Papyrus, Herutataf informed his father
Khufu of the existence of a man no years old who lived in the town of
Tet-Seneferu : he was able to join to its body again a head that had been
cut off, and possessed influence over the lion, and was acquainted with the
mysteries of Thoth. I'y Khufu's command Herutataf brought the sage to
him by boat, and, on his arrival, the king ordered the head to be struck off
from a prisoner that Teta might fasten it on again. Having excused
himself from performing this act upon a man, a goose was brought and its
head was cut off and laid on one side of the room and the body was placed

on the other. The sage spake certain words of power ( Q j j ^^. ^ 1 ] ,

whereupon the goose stood up and began to waddle, and the head also
began to move towards it; when the head had joined itself again to the

body the bird stood up and cackled S ^:> S ^^ Qf • For ^^e complete

hieratic text, transcript, and translation, see Erman, Die Miirchcn des
Papyrus J Fes tear, Berlin, 1890, p. 11, Plate 6.

Book of the Dead in the Ilnd Dynasty ii

monuments of the Ilnd dynasty. A bas-relief preserved at
Aix in Provence mentions Aasen and Ankef,^ two of the

priests of Sent or Senta 4=\^ Ml ^^ [) J, the fifth king of

the Ilnd dynasty, about 4000 B.C. ; and a stele at Oxford^
and another in the Egyptian Museum at Gizah ^ record the

name of a third priest, Shera (l'^ or Sheri [In, a

"royal relative" i_ . On the stele at Oxford are

represented the deceased and his wife seated, one on each

side of an altar Ifl',^ which is covered with funerary offerings

of pious relatives ; above, in perpendicular lines of hiero-
glyphs in relief, are the names of the objects offered,'' and
below is an inscription which reads :'^ " thousands of loaves
" of bread, thousands of vases of ale, thousands of linen
" garments, thousands of changes of wearing apparel, and
" thousands of oxen."^ Now from this monument it is
evident that already in the Ilnd dynasty a priesthood
existed in Egypt which numbered among its members

^ Wiedemann, Aegyptische Geschichte, p. 1 70. In a mastabah at Sakkarah
e a stele of Sheri U (J > ^ superintendent of the priests of the ka

—-^ \ 1 III' whereon the cartouches of Sent and Per-ab-sen

( .^-^ O I /wwv\ I both occur. See Mariette and Maspero, Les Mastaba de

raficien Empire, Paris, 1882, p. 92.

■■^ See Lepsius, Auszvahl, Bl. 9.

^ See Maspero, Guide du Visiteur au Musee de Bouhiq, 1883, pp. 31,
32, and 213 (No. 1027).

* There is also a slab from Shera's tomb in the British Museum. See
Guide to the Egyptian Galleries, p. i, No. i.

•5 A discussion on the method of depicting this altar on Egyptian
monuments by Borchardt may be found in Aeg. Zeitschri/t, Bd. XXXI,
p. I {Die Darstellung innen verzierter Schalen anf aeg. Denkmdlern).

« Among others, (i)'jl|Jo°, (2)(j™:, (3)()'^#, (4) .--.fn^;

the word incense is written twice, 1 | ^ . Some of these appear in

the lists of offerings made for Unas (1. 147) and for Teta (11. 125, 131, 133 ;
see Reaieil de Travaux, 1884, Plate 2).

|\lolslM3

The sculptor had no room for the T belonging to £j .

12 The Papyrus of Ani

relatives of the royal family, and that a religious system
which prescribed as a duty the providing of meat and drink
offerings for the dead was also in active operation. The
offering of specific objects goes far to prove the existence
of a ritual or service wherein their siijnification would be
indicated ; the coincidence of these words and the prayer
for " thousands of loaves of bread, thousands of vases of
ale," etc., with the promise, " Anpu-khent-Amenta shall give
" thee thy thousands of loaves of bread, thy thousands of
" vases of ale, thy thousands of vessels of unguents, thy
" thousands of changes of apparel, thy thousands of oxen,
"and thy thousands of bullocks," enables us to recognise
that ritual in the text inscribed upon the pyramid of Teta
in the Vlth dynasty, from which the above promise is taken. ^
Thus the evidence of the text on the coffin of the wife of
Menthu-hetep and the scene on the monument of Shera
support one another, and together they prove beyond a
doubt that a form of the Book of the Dead was in use at
least in the period of the earliest dynasties, and that sepul-
chral ceremonies connected therewith were duly performed.^

^Min"=^k^^^' Teta, II. 3S8, 389. (^«»«/.
ed. Maspero, t. V, p. 58.)

- The arguments brought forward here in proof of the great antiquity of
a religious system in Egypt are supplemented in a remarkable manner by

the inscriptions found in the mastabah of Seker-khfi-baiu ' — ^ Q '^m

at Sakkarah. Here we have a man who, like Shera, was a "royal relative "
and a priest, but who, unlike him, exercised some of the highest functions

of the Egyptian priesthood in virtue of his title \\\ Xf^ hem. (On the
^~* ^ ^ see Max Miiller, Recueil de Travaux, t. IX, p. 166; Brugsch,

Ae}^piologie, ]). 21S ; and Maspero, Un Manuel de Hierarchie Eg)'ptienne,
p. 9.) Among the offerings named in the tomb arc the substances

AAAWN J I, 0 v\ ,^=v and (1 which are also mentioned on the stele of

Shera of the Ilnd dynasty, and in the texts of the Vlth dynasty. But the
tomb of Seker-kha-baiu is different from any other known to us, both as

* Ptah-shepses bore this title ; see Mariette and Maspero, Les Mastaba, p. 113.

Book of the Dead in the IVth Dynasty 13

With the IVth dynasty we have an increased number
of monuments, chiefly sepulchral, which give details as to
the Egyptian sacerdotal system and the funeral ceremonies
which the priests performed.^ The inscriptions upon the
earlier monuments prove that many of the priestly officials
were still relatives of the royal family, and the tombs of
feudal lords, scribes, and others, record a number of their
official titles, together with the names of several of their
religious festivals. The subsequent increase in the number
of the monuments during this period may be due to the
natural development of the religion of the time, but it is
very probable that the greater security of life and property
which had been assured by the vigorous wars of Seneferu,^
the first king of this dynasty, about 3766 B.C., encouraged
men to incur greater expense, and to build larger and better
abodes for the dead, and to celebrate the full ritual at the
prescribed festivals. In this dynasty the royal dead were
honoured with sepulchral monuments of a greater size and

regards the form and cutting of the hieroglyphs, which are in relief, and
the way in which they are disposed and grouped. The style of the whole
monument is rude and very primitive, and it cannot be attributed to any
dynasty later than the Ilnd, or even to the Ilnd itself; it must, there-
fore, have been built during the 1st dynasty, or in the words of MM.
Mariette and Maspero, '• L'impression generale que Ton regoit au premier
" aspect du tombeau No. 5, est celle d'une extreme antiquite. Rien en
" effet de ce que nous sommes habitues a voir dans les autres tombeaux ne
" se retrouve ici . . . Le monument .... est certainement le plus ancien
" de ceux que nous connaissons dans la plaine de Saqqarah, et il n'y a pas
" de raison pour qu'il ne soit pas de la- I""^ Dynastie." Les Mastaba de
V ancien Empire : Paris, 1882, p. 73. But because there is no incontrovertible
proof that this tomb belongs to the 1st dynasty, the texts on the stele of
Shera, a monument of a later dynasty, have been adduced as the oldest
evidences of the antiquity of a fixed religious system and literature in
Egypt.

1 Many of the monuments commonly attributed to this dynasty should
more correctly be described as being the work of the Ilnd dynasty ; see
Maspero, Geschichtc der Morgenldndischen Volker im Alterthutn (trans.
Pietschmann), Leipzig, 1877, p. 56 ; Wiedemann, Aegyptische Geschichte,

P- 170-

- He conquered the peoples in the -Sinaitic Peninsula, and according to
a text of a later date he built a wall to keep out the Aamu from Ec;ypt. In

the story of Saneha a ''pool of Seneferu " | ' J "iS^ P^ mentioned,

which shows that his name was well known on the frontiers of Egypt. See
Golenischeff, Aeg. Zeitschri/t, p. no; Maspero, Melanges d'Archeologie,
t. Ill, Paris, 1876, p. 71, 1. 2; Lepsius, Denkmdler, II, 2a.

14 The Papyrus of Ani

magnificence than had ever before been contemplated, and
the chapels attached to the pyramids were served by courses
of priests whose sole duties consisted in celebrating the
services. The fashion of building a pyramid instead of the
rectangular flat-roofed rnastabali for a royal tomb was
revived by Seneferu,^ who called his pyramid Kha ; and
his example was followed by his immediate successors,
Khufu (Cheops), Khaf-Ra (Chephren), Men-kau-Ra (My-
cerinus), and others.

In the reign of Mycerinus some important work seems
to have been undertaken in connection with certain sections
of the text of the Book of the Dead, for the Rubrics of
Chapters XXXb and CXLVIII^ state that these composi-
tions were found inscribed upon "a block of alabaster of
" the south in letters of real lapis-lazuli under the feet of
" the majesty of the god in the time of the King of the
" South and North Men-kau-Ra, by the royal son Heru-
" tataf, whose word is truth." That a new impulse should
be "iven to religious observances, and that the revision
of existing religious texts should take place in the reign of
Mycerinus, was only to be expected if Greek tradition may
be believed, for both Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus
represent him as a just king, and one who was anxious to
efface from the minds of the people the memory of the
alleged cruelty of his predecessor by re-opening the temples
and by letting every man celebrate his own sacrifices and
discharge his own religious duties.^ His pyramid is the
one now known as the " third pyramid of Gizah," under
which he was buried in a chamber vertically below the
apex and sixty feet below the level of the ground. Whether
the pyramid was finished or not'* when the king died, his
body was certainly laid in it, and notwithstanding all the
attempts made by the Muhammadan rulers of Egypt ^ to

1 The building of the pyramid of MedClm has usually been attributed to
Seneferu, but the excavations made there in 1882 did nothing to clear up
the uncertainty which exists on this point ; for recent excavations see Petrie,
Medum, London, 1892, 4to.

2 For the text see my Chapters of Coming Forth by Day. 2nd ed.
8 Herodotus, II, 129, i ; Diodorus, I, 64, 9,

* According to Diodorus, he died before it was comjjleted (I, 64, 7).

'' According to 'Abd al-Latif the Khalif's name was Mamun, but M. de
Sacy doubted that he was the first to attempt this work ; the authorities on
the subject are all given in his Relation de i' Egypte, Paris, iSio, pp. 215-221.

The Coffin of Mycerinus 15

destroy it at the end of the twelfth century of our era, it
has survived to yield up important facts for the history of
the Book of the Dead.

In 1837 Colonel Howard Vyse succeeded in forcing
the entrance. On the 29th of July he commenced opera-
tions, and on the ist of August he made his way into the
sepulchral chamber, where, however, nothing was found
but a rectangular stone sarcophagus^ without the lid. The
large stone slabs of the floor and the linings of the wall
had been in many instances removed by thieves in search
of treasure. In a lower chamber, connected by a passage
with the sepulchral chamber, was found the greater part of
the lid of the sarcophagus,- together with portions of a
wooden coffin, and part of the body of a man, consisting of
ribs and vertebrae and the bones of the legs and feet.

Tradition, as represented in the " Arabian Nights," says that Al-Mamun
was minded to pull down the pyramids, and that he expended a mint of
money in the attempt ; he succeeded, however, only in opening up a small
tunnel in one of them, wherein it is said he found treasure to the exact
amount of the moneys which he had spent in the work, and neither more
nor less. The Arabic writer Idrisi, who wrote about a.h. 623 (a.d. 1226),
states that a few years ago the " Red Pyramid," i.e., that of Mycerinus, was
opened on the north side. After passing through various passages a room
was reached wherein was found a long blue vessel, quite empty. The
opening into this pyramid was effected by people in search of treasure ;
they worked at it with axes for six months, and they in great numbers.
They found in this basin, after they had broken the covering of it, the
decayed remains of a man, but no treasure, excepting some golden tablets
inscribed with characters of a language which nobody could understand.
Each man's share of these tablets amounted to 100 dinars (about ^50).
Other legendary history says that the western pyramid contains thirty
chambers of parti-coloured syenite full of precious gems and costly weapons
anointed with unguents that they may not rust until the day of the
Resurrection. See Howard Vyse, The Pyramids of Gizeh, Vol. II, pp. 71,.
72; and Burton, The Book of the Thousafid Nights and a Night, 1885,
Vol. V, p. 105, and Vol. X, p. 150.

^ Vyse, The Pyramids of Gizeh, Vol. II, p. 84. A fragment of this
sarcophagus is exhibited in the British Museum, First Egyptian Room,
Case B, No. 6646.

2 With considerable difficulty this interesting monument was brought
out from the pyramid by Mr. Raven, and having been cased in strong
timbers, was sent off to the British Museum. It was embarked at Alexandria
in the autumn of 1838, on board a merchant ship, which was supposed to
have been lost off Carthagena, as she never was heard of after her departure
from Leghorn on the 12th of October in that year, and as some parts of
the wreck were picked up near the former port. The sarcophagus is
figured by Vyse, Pyramids, Vol. II, Plate facing p. 84.

1 6 The Papyrus of Ani

enveloped in a coarse woollen cloth of a yellow colour, to
which a small quantity of resinous substance and gum
adhered.^ It would therefore seem that, as the sarcophagus
could not be removed, the wooden case alone containing
the body had been brought into the large apartment for
examination. Now, whether the human remains- there
found are those of Mycerinus or of some one else, as some
have suggested, in no way affects the question of the
ownership of the coffin, for we know by the hieroglyphic
inscription upon it that it was made to hold the mummified
body of the king. This inscription, which is arranged in
two perpendicular lines down the front of the coffin, reads : —

[Hail] Osiris, {^""5,6^??"'^} Men-kau-Ra, living forever, born of

heaven, conceived of Nut, heir of Keb, his beloved.

D
rvn
Spreadeth herself thy mother Nut over thee in her name of

^ As considerable misapprehension about the finding of these remains
has existed, the account of the circumstances under which they were
discovered will be of interest. "Sir, by your request, I send you the
" particulars of the finding of the bones, mummy-cloth, and parts of the
" coffin in the Third Pyramid. In clearing the rubbish out of the large
" entrance-room, after the men had been employed there several days and
" had advanced some distance towards the South-eastern corner, some
*' bones were first discovered at the bottom of the rubbish ; and the
" remaining bones and parts of the coffin were immediately discovered all
" together. No other ])arts of the coffin or bones could be found in the
" room ; I therefore had the rubbish which had been previously turned out
" of the same room carefully re-e.xamined, when several pieces of the coffin
" and of the mummy-cloth were found ; but in no other part of the pyramid
" were any parts of it to be discovered, although every place was most
" minutely examined, to make the coffin as com])lete as possible. There
" was about three feet of rubbish on the top of the same : and from the
" circumstance of the bones and part of the coffin being all found together,
" It appeared as if the coffin had been brought to that spot and there
" unpacked. — H. Raven." Vyse, Pyramids, Vol. II, p. 86.

2 They are exhibited in the First Egyptian Room, Case B, with the
fragments of the coffin.

The Coffin of Mycerinus 17

" mystery of heaven," she granteth that thou mayest exist as a god to

thy foes, { O ''tVNonh!"'^' } Men-kau-Ra, living for ever !

Now it is to be noted that the passage " Thy mother
" Nut spreadeth herself over thee in her name of ' Mystery
"of Heaven,' she granteth that thou mayest be without
" enemies," occurs in the texts which are inscribed upon
the pyramids built by the kings of the Vlth dynasty,^ and
thus we have evidence of the use of the same version of
one reHo-ious text both in the IVth and in the Vlth
dynasties.^

Even if we were to admit that the coffin is a forgery
of the XXV I th dynasty, and that the inscription upon it
was taken from an edition of the text of the Book of the
Dead, still the value of the monument as an evidence of
the antiquity of the Book of the Dead is scarcely impaired,

^ See the texts of Teta and Pepi I, in Maspero, Reciieil de Travaux,
t. V, pp. 20, 38 (11. 175, 279), and pp. 165, 173 (11. 60, 103), etc.

^ So far back as 1883, M. Maspero, in lamenting {Gtiide du Visiteur de
Boulai/, p. 310) the fact that the BCilaq Museum possessed only portions
of wooden coffins of the Ancient Empire and no complete example, noticed
that the coffin of Mycerinus, preserved in the British Museum, had been
declared by certain Egyptologists to be a " restoration " of the XXVIth
dynasty, rather than the work of the IVth dynasty, in accordance with the
inscription upon it ; but like Dr. Birch he was of opinion that the coffin
certainly belonged to the IVth dynasty, and adduced in support of his
views the fact of the existence of portions of a similar coffin of Seker-em-
sa-f, a king of the Vlth dynasty. Later, however, another attempt was
made {Aeg. Zeitschrifi, Bd. XXX, pp. 94 ff ) to prove by the agreement
of the variants in the text on the coffin of Mycerinus with those of texts of
the XXVIth dynasty, that the Mycerinus text is of this late period, or at all
events not earlier than the time of Psammetichus. But it is admitted on
all hands that in the XXVIth dynasty the Egyptians resuscitated texts of the
first dynasties of the Early Empire, and that they copied the arts and
literature of that period as far as possible, and, this being so, the texts on
the monuments which have been made the standard of comparison for that
on the coffin of Mycerinus may be themselves at fault in their variants. If
the text on the cover could be proved to differ as much from an undisputed
IVth dynasty text as it does from those even of the Vlth dynasty, the
philological argument might have some weight ; but even this would not
get rid of the fact that the cover itself is a genuine relic of the IVth
dynasty.

VOL. I. C

1 8 The Papyrus of Ani

for those who added the inscription would certainly have
chosen it from a text of the time of Mycerinus.

In the Vth dynasty we have, in an increased number
of inastabahs and other monuments, evidence of the exten-
sion of religious ceremonials, including the celebration of
funeral rites ; but a text forminof the Book of the Dead as
a whole does not occur until the reign of Unas (3333 B.C.),
the last king of the dynasty, who according to the Turin
Papyrus reigned thirty years. This monarch built on the
plain of Sakkarah a stone pyramid about sixty-two feet
high, each side measuring about two hundred feet at the
base. In the time of Perring and Vyse it was surrounded
by heaps of broken stone and rubbish, the result of repeated
attempts to open it, and with the casing stones, which
consisted of compact limestone from the quarries of Tura.^
In February, 188 1, M. Maspero began to clear the pyramid,
and soon after he succeeded in making an entrance into
the innermost chambers, the walls of which were covered
with hieroglyphic inscriptions, arranged in perpendicular
lines and painted in green. ^ The condition of the interior
showed that at some time or other thieves had already
succeeded in making an entrance, for the cover of the black
basalt sarcophagus of Unas had been wrenched off and
moved near the door of the sarcophagus chamber ; the
paving stones had been pulled up in the vain attempt to
find buried treasure ; the mummy had been broken to
pieces, and nothing remained of it except the right arm, a
tibia, and some fragments of the skull and body. The
inscriptions which covered certain walls and corridors in
the tomb were afterwards published by M. Maspero.^ The
appearance of the text of Unas'^ marks an era in the history
of the Book of the Dead, and its translation must be
regarded as one of the greatest triumphs of Egyptological
decipherment, for the want of determinatives in many
places in the text, and the archaic spelling of many of the

^ Vyse, Pyra?nids 0/ Gizek, p. 51.

2 Maspero, Reciieil de Travnux, t. Ill, p. 178.

^ See Rccueil de Travaux, t. Ill, pp. 177-224; t. IV, pp. 41-78.

* In 1881 Dr. Brugsch described two pyramids of the Vlth dynasty
inscribed with religious texts similar to those found in the pyramid of Unas,
and translated certain passages {Aeg. Zeitschri/i, Bd. XIX, pp. 1-15); see
also Birch in Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch. 1881, pp. iii ff.

The Pyramid Texts 19

words and passages presented difficulties which were not
easily overcome.^ Here, for the first time, it was shown
that the Book of the Dead was no compilation of a com-
paratively late period in the history of Egyptian civilization,
but a work belonging to a very remote antiquity ; and it
followed naturally that texts which were then known, and
which were thought to be themselves original ancient texts,
proved to be only versions which had passed through two
or more successive revisions.

Continuing his excavations at Sakkarah, M. Maspero
opened the pyramid of Teta,~ king of Egypt about 3300 B.C.,
which Vyse thought^ had never been entered, and of which,
in his day, the masonry on one side only could be seen.
Here again it was found that thieves had already been at
work, and that they had smashed in pieces walls, floors,
and many other parts of the chambers in their frantic
search for treasure. As in the case of the pyramid of
Unas, certain chambers, etc., of this tomb were found
covered with inscriptions in hieroglyphs, but of a smaller
size.* A brief examination of the text showed it to be
formed of a series of extracts from the Book of the Dead,
some of which were identical with those in the pyramid of
Unas. Thus was broug-ht to lio-ht a Book of the Dead
of the time of the first king^ of the Vlth dynasty.

The pyramid of Pepi I, king of Egypt about 3233 B.C.,
was next opened.^ It is situated in the central group at
Sakkarah, and is commonly known as the pyramid of

^ The pyramid which bore among the Arabs the name Mastabat
al-Far^iln, or "Pharaoh's Bench," was excavated by Mariette in 1858, and,
because he found the name of Unas painted on certain blocks of stone, he
concluded it was the tomb of Unas. M. Maspero's excavations have, as
Dr. Lepsius observes {Aeg. Zeitschrift, Bd. XIX, p. 15), set the matter
right.

2 The mummy of the king had been taken out of the sarcophagus
through a hole which the thieves had made in it ; it was broken by them
in pieces, and the only remains of it found by M. Maspero consisted of an
arm and shoulder. Parts of the wooden coffin are preserved in the Gizah
Museum.

2 The Pyramids of Gizeh, Vol. Ill, p. 39.

* They were cojjied in 1882, and published by M. Maspero in Recueil
de Travaux, t. V, pp. 1-59.

^ The broken mummy of this king, together with fragments of its
bandages, was found lying on the floor.

^ See Vyse, Pyramids of Gizeh, Vol. Ill, p. 51.

C 2

20 The Papyrus of Ani

Shekh Abu-Mansur.^ Certain chambers and other parts
of the tomb were found to be covered with hieroglyphic
texts, which not only repeated in part those which had
been found in the pyramids of Unas and Teta, but also
contained a considerable number of additional sections of
the Book of the Dead."^ In the same neighbourhood
M. Maspero cleared out the pyramid of Mer-en-Ra, the
fourth king of the Vlth dynasty, about 3200 b.c. ;^ and the
pyramid of Pepi II, the fifth king of the Vlth dynasty,
about 3166 B.C."*

Thus we have before the close of the Vlth dynasty five
copies of a series of texts which formed the Book of the
Dead of that period, and an extract from a well-known
passage of that work on the wooden coffin of Mycerinus ;
we have also seen from a number of 77tastabaks and stelae
that the funeral ceremonies connected with the Book of the
Dead were performed certainly in the Ilnd, and with
almost equal certainty in the 1st dynasty. It is easy to
show that certain sections of the Book of the Dead of this
period were copied and used in the following dynasties
down to a period about a.d. 200.

The fact that not only in the pyramids of Unas and

^ It had been partially opened by jSIariette in May, 1880, but the
clearance of sand was not effected until early in 1881.

^ The full text is given by Maspero in Recueil de Travaux, t. V,
PP- 157-58, Piiris, 1884; t. VII, pp. 145-76, Paris, 1886; and t. VIII,
pp. 87-120, Paris, 1886 ; and in Sethe, Pyramidentexie, 2 vols.

^ It was opened early in January, 1880, by Mariette, who seeing that
the sarcophagus chamber was inscribed, abandoned his theory that pyramids
never contained inscriptions, or that if they did they were not royal tombs.
The hieroglyphic texts were published by Maspero in Recueil de Travaux^
t. IX, pp. 177-91, Paris, 1887; t. X, pp. 1-29, Paris, 1888; and t. XI,
pp. 1-31, Paris, 1889. The alabaster vase in the British Museum,
No. 449:^, came from this pyramid.

■* This p\ramid is a little larger than the others of the period, and is
built in steps of small stones ; it is commonly called by the Arabs Haravt
al-Mastabai, because it is near the building usually called M^as(a/>af
al-Far'fin. See Vyse, Pyramids, Vol. Ill, p. 52. The hieroglyphic texts are
publisiied by Maspero in Recueil de Travaux, t. XII, pp. 53-95, and
pp. 136-95, Paris, 1892, and t. XIV, pp. 125-52, Paris, 1892. There is
little doubt that this pyramid was broken into more than once in Christian
times, and that the early collectors of Egyptian antiquities obtained the
beautiful alabaster vases inscribed with the cartouches and titles of Pepi II
from those who had access to the sarcophagus chamber. Among such
objects in the British Museum collection, Nos. 4492, 22559, 22758, and
22817 ^re fine examples.

Book of the Dead in the Vlth Dynasty 21

Teta, but also in those of Pepi I and his immediate suc-
cessors, we find selected passages, suggests that the Book
of the Dead was, even in those early times, so extensive
that even a king was fain to make from it a selection only
of the passages which suited his individual taste or were
considered sufficient to secure his welfare in the next world.
In the pyramids of Teta, Pepi I, Mer-en-Ra, and Pepi II
are found many texts which are identical with those
employed by their predecessors, and an examination of the
inscription of Pepi II will show that about three-fourths of
the whole may be found in the monuments of his ancestors.
What principle guided each king in the selection of his
texts, or whether the additions in each represent religious
developments, it is impossible to say ; but, as the Egyptian
religion cannot have remained stationary in every particular,
it is probable that some texts reflect the changes in the
opinions of the priests upon matters of doctrine.^ The
"Pyramid Texts" prove that each section of the religious
books of the Egyptians was originally a separate and indepen-
dent composition, that it was written with a definite object,
and that it might be arranged in any order in a series of
similar texts. What preceded or what followed it was never
taken into consideration by the scribe, although it seems, at
times, as if traditions had assigned a sequence to certain texts.
That events of contemporary history were sometimes
reflected in the Book of the Dead of the early dynasties is
proved by the following. We learn from the inscription

upon the tomb of Heru-khuf R '^ ® vN^^Lt^^ at Aswan,^

^ A development has been observed in the plan of ornamenting the
interiors of the pyramids of the Vth and Vlth dynasties. In that of Unas
about one-quarter of the sarcophagus chamber is covered with architectural
decorations, and the hieroglyphs are large, well spaced, and enclosed in
broad lines. But as we advance in the Vlth dynasty, the space set apart
for decorative purposes becomes less, the hieroglyphs are smaller, the
lines are crowded, and the inscriptions overflow into the chambers and
corridors, which in the Vth dynasty were left blank. See Maspero in
Revue des Religions, t. XI, p. 124.

2 The full text from this tomb and a discussion on its contents are
given by Schiaparelli, Una tomba egiziana inedita della VI'^ dinastia con
inscrizioni storiche e geografiche, in Atti della R. Accademia dei Lificei,
anno CCLXXXIX, Ser. 4% Classe di Scienze Morali, etc., t. X, Rome, 1893,
pp. 22-53. This text has been treated by Erman {Z.D.M.G., Bd. XLVI,
1892, pp. 574 ff.), who first pointed out the reference to the pigmy in the
Pyramid Texts, and by Maspero in Revue Critique, Paris, 1892, p. 366.

22 The Papyrus of Ani

that this governor of Elephantine was ordered to bring for
King Pepi IP a pigmy, ^^^^^^4l'^ ^^^^ ^^^ interior of

Africa, to dance before the king and amuse him ; and he
was promised that, if he succeeded in bringing the pigmy
aHve and in good heahh, his Majesty would confer upon
him a higher rank and dignity than that which King Assa
conferred upon his minister Ba-ur-Tettet, who performed
this much appreciated service for his master.^ Now Assa
was the eighth king of the Vth dynasty, and Pepi II was the
fifth king of the Vlth dynasty, and between the reigns of
these kings there was, according to M. Maspero, an interval
of at least sixty-four, but more probably eighty, years.
But in the text in the pyramid of Pepi I, which must have
been drafted at some period between the reigns of these
kings, we have the passage : " Hail thou who [at thy will]
" makest to pass over to the Field of Aaru the soul that is
" right and true, or dost make shipwreck of it. Ra-meri
" (i.e. Pepi I) is right and true in respect of heaven and
" in respect of earth, Pepi is right and true in respect of the
" island of the earth whither he swimmeth and where he
" arriveth. He who is between the thighs of Nut
" (i.e., Pepi) is the pigmy who danceth [like] the god, and
" who pleaseth the heart of the god [Osiris] before his great
" throne .... The two beings who are over the throne of
" the great god proclaim Pepi to be sound and healthy,
" [therefore] Pepi shall sail in the boat to the beautiful field
" of the great god, and he shall do therein that which is
" done by those to whom veneration is due." "^ Here clearly

^ See Erman in Aeg. Zeitschrift, Bd. XXXI, pp. 65 ff.

2 On the pigmy see Stanley, Darkest Africa, Vol. i, p. 198 : Vol. II,
pp. 4of. ; Schweinfurth, Im Herzen von Afrika, Bd. II, Kap. 16, pp. 131 fF.
That the pigmies paid tribute to the Egyptians is certain from the passage

" pigmies came to him from the lands of the South having things of service
" for his palace " ; see Diimichen, Geschichtc des altcn Aegyptens, Berlin,
1887, p. 7.

■^ For the hieroglyphic text see Maspero, Recneil de Travaux, t. VII,
pp. 162, 163 ; and t. XI, p. 11.

The Hermetic Books 23

we have a reference to the historical fact of the importation
of a pigmy from the regions south of Nubia ; and the idea
which seems to have been uppermost in the mind of him
who drafted the text was that as the pigmy pleased the king
for whom he was brought in this world, even so might the
dead Pepi please the god Osiris^ in the next world. As
the pigmy was brought by boat to the king, so might Pepi
be brought by boat to the island wherein the god dwelt ;
as the conditions made by the king were fulfilled by him
that brought the pigmy, even so might the conditions made
by Osiris concerning the dead be fulfilled by him that
transported Pepi to his presence. The wording of the
passage amply justifies the assumption that this addition
was made to the text after the mission of Assa, and during
the Vlth dynasty.^

Like other works of a similar nature, however, the
Pyramid Texts, which represent the Heliopolitan Recen-
sion, afford us no information as to their authorship. In
the later versions of the Book of the Dead certain Chapters^
are stated to be the work of the god Thoth. They cer-
tainly belong to that class of literature which the Greeks
called "Hermetic,"* and it is pretty certain that under some
group they were included in the list of the forty-two works
which, according to Clement of Alexandria,^ constituted
the sacred books of the Egyptians.^ As Thoth, whom the
Greeks called Hermes, is in Egyptian texts styled " lord of
divine books, "^ "scribe of the Company of the Gods,"^ and
"lord of divine speech,"^ this ascription is well founded.

1 Pietschmann thinks {Aeg. Zeitschrift^ Bd. XXXI, pp. 73 f.) that the
Satyrs, who are referred to by Diodorus (i, XVIII) as the companions and
associates of Osiris in Ethiopia, have their origin in the pigmies.

- The whole question of the pigmy in the text of Pepi I has been
discussed by Maspero in Recueil de Travaux, t. XIV, pp. 186 ff.

3 Chapters XXXb, CLXIV, XXXVIIb, and CXLVIII. Although
these Chapters were found at Hermopolis, the city of Thoth, it does not
follow that they were drawn up there.

* See Birch, in Bunsen, Egypt's Place in Universal History, Vol. V,
p. 125 ; Naville, Todtenbuch (Einleitung), p. 26.

° Stromata, VI, 4, 35, ed. Dindorff, t. Ill, p. 155.

^ On the sacred books of the Egyptians see also lamblichus, JDe
Mysteriis, ed. Parthey, Berlin, 1857, pp. 260, 261 ; Lepsius, Chronologie,
pp. 45 ff. ; and Brugsch, Aegvpiolo^ie, p. 149.

?1i '-1

The Papyrus of Ani

The Pyramid Texts are versions of ancient religious com-
positions which the priests of the College or School of Anu^
succeeded in establishing as the authorized version of the
Book of the Dead in the first six dynasties. Ra, the local
form of the Sun-god, usurps the place occupied by the
more ancient form Temu, but before the close of the Vlth
dynasty Osiris had taken his place in the Pyramid Texts
as the greatest of the gods. The great influence of the
Anu school of priests even in the time of Unas is proved
by the following passage from the text in his pyramid :
" O God, thy Anu is Unas ; O God, thy Anu is Unas.
" O Ra, Anu is Unas, thy Anu is Unas, O Ra. The
" mother of Unas is Anu, the father of Unas is Anu ; Unas
" himself is Anu, and was born in Anu."~ Elsewhere we
are told that Unas " cometh to the great bull which cometh
" forth from Anu,^ and that he uttereth words of magical
" import in Anu."* In Anu the god Temu produced the
gods Shu and Tefnut,^ and in Anu dwelt the great and

[I Anu, the metropolis of the Xlllth Nome of Lower Egypt;

see Briigsch, Diet. Giog., p. 41 ; de Rouge, Geographic Aneicfine de la
Basse-Egypte, p. 81 ; and AmeHneau, La Geographic de VEgypte h
VEpoque Copie, p. 287. Anu is 7^^ Genesis xH, 45 ; ^'ifc^ Genesis xh, 50 ;

pt^ Ezekiel xxx, 17; and Beth Shemesh, tTptt? Jl^l Jeremiah xHii, 13;

and the HeHopoHs of the Greek writers ('HX(ow7ro\<<;, Strabo, XVII, i,
§§ 27, 28; Herodotus, II, 3 ; Diodorus, I, 57, 4).

-{±m ii mutx^ loll

Maspero, Unas, 11. 591, 592 ; and ep. Pepi I, 11. 690, 691.

"~l ? 1^ 1p^ '^^ 1

Maspero, Pepi /,

The Anu of Heaven 25

oldest Company of the Gods, Temu, Shu, Tefnut, Keb, Nut,
Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.^ The abode of the blessed
in heaven was called Anu,- and it was asserted that the souls
of the just were there united to their spiritual or glorified
bodies, and that they lived there face to face with the deity
for all eternity.^ Judging from the fact that the texts in
the tombs of Heru-hetep and Neferu, and those inscribed
upon the sarcophagus of Taka, all of the Xlth and Xllth
dynasties, differ in extent only and not in character or
contents from those of the royal pyramids of Sakkarah of
the Vth and Vlth dynasties, it has been declared that the
religion as well as the art of the first Theban Empire is
nothing but a slavish copy of that of Northern Egypt."*

1 The Pyramid of Fepi II, 1. 665.

2 In reading Egyptian religious texts, the existence of the heavenly
Anu, which was to the Egyptians what Jerusalem was to the Jews, and
what Mecca still is to the Muhammadans, must be remembered. The
heavenly Anu was the capital of the mythological world (see Naville,
Todtetibuch (Einleitung), p. 27), and was, to the spirits of men, what the
earthly Anu was to their bodies, i.e., the abode of the gods and the centre
and source of all divine instruction. Like many other mythological cities,
such as Abtu, Tetu, Pe, Tep, Khemenu, etc., the heavenly Anu had no
geographical position.

^ The importance of Anu and its gods in the Vlth dynasty is well
indicated by a prayer from the pyramid of Pepi II (for the texts see
Maspero, Recueil, t. X, p. 8, and t. XII, p. 146), which reads : —

" Hail, ye Great Nine Gods who dwell in Anu, grant ye that Pepi
" may flourish, and grant ye that this pyramid of Pepi, this building built
" for eternity, may flourish, even as the name of the god Temu, the chief
" of the great Company of the Nine Gods, doth flourish. If the name of
" Shu, the lord of the celestial shrine in Anu flourisheth, then Pepi
" shall flourish, and this his pyramid shall flourish, and this his work
" shall endure to all eternity. If the name of Tefnut, the lady of the
" terrestrial shrine in Anu endureth, the name of Pepi shall endure, and
" this pyramid shall endure to all eternity. If the name of Keb

" flourisheth the name of Pepi shall flourish, and this pyramid

*' shall flourish, and this his work shall endure to all eternity. If the
" name of Nut flourisheth in the temple of Shenth in Anu, the name of
" Pepi shall flourish, and this pyramid shall flourish, and this his work
" shall endure to all eternity. If the name of Osiris flourisheth in This,
" the name of Pepi shall flourish, and this pyramid shall flourish, and
" this his work shall endure to all eternity. If the name of Osiris Khent-
" Amenti flourisheth, the name of Pepi shall flourish, and this pyramid
" shall flourish, and this his work shall endure to all eternity. If the name
" of Set flourisheth in Nubt, the name of Pepi shall flourish, and this
" pyramid shall flourish, and this his work shall endure to all eternity."
■* Maspero, la Religion Egyptienne d^apres les Pyramides de la V' et de
la VP dynastie. (In Revue des Religions, t. XII, pp. 138, 139.)

26 The Papyrus of Ani

The Theban Recension, which was used throughout
Egypt by everyone who could afford to be "buried," from
the XV^IIIth to the XX 1st dynasty, was commonly written
on papyri in the hieroglyphic character, the scribe invari-
ably beginning his copying at the left-hand end of the
papyrus roll, and working towards the right. The text is
written in black ink in perpendicular rows of hieroglyphs,
which are separated from each other by black lines ; the
titles of the Chapters or sections, and certain parts of the
Chapters and the Rubrics belonging thereto, are written in
red ink. A steady development in the illumination of the
Vignettes is observable in the papyri of this period. At
the beginning of the XVIilth dynasty the Vignettes are in
black outline, as we see in the Papyrus of Nebseni ; but
we see in the Papyrus of luau, a father-in-law of Amen-
hetep III, that the Vignettes are painted in reds, greens,
yellows, white, and other colours, and that the whole of the
text and Vignettes are enclosed in a red and yellow border.
Originally the text was the most important part of the
work, and both it and its Vignettes were the work of the
scribe ; gradually, however, the brilliandy illuminated Vig-
nettes were more and more cared for, and when the skill
of the scribe failed, the artist was called in. In many fine
papyri of the Theban Period it is clear that the whole plan
of the Vignettes of a papyrus was set out by artists, who
often failed to leave sufficient space for the texts to which
they belonged ; in consequence many lines of Chapters are
often omitted, and the last few lines of some texts are so
much crowded as to be almost illegible. The frequent
clerical errors also show that, while an artist of the greatest
skill might be employed on the Vignettes, the execution of
the text was left to a careless, or even ionorant, scribe.

A • 1 • • O '

Agam, the artist at times arranged his Vignettes in wrong
order, and it is occasionally evident that neither artist nor
scribe understood the matter upon which he was engaged.
According to M. Maspero^ the scribes of the Vlth dynasty
did not understand the texts which they were drafting, and
in the XlXth dynasty the scribe of a papyrus now preserved
at Berlin knew or cared so little about the text which he
was copying that he transcribed the LXXVIIth Chapter

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 62.

The Theban Recension 27

from the wrong end, and apparently never discovered his
error, although he concluded the Chapter with its title. ^
Originally each copy of the Book of the Dead was written
to order, but soon the custom obtained of preparing copies
with blank spaces in which the name of the purchaser
might be inserted ; and many of the errors in spelling and
most of the omissions of words are no doubt due to the
haste with which such "stock" copies were written by the
members of the priestly caste, whose profession it was to
copy them.

The papyri upon which copies of the Theban Recension
were written vary in length from about 20 to 90 feet, and
in width from 14 to 18 inches; in the XVIIIth dynasty
the layers of the papyrus are of a thicker texture and of a
darker colour than in the succeeding dynasties. The art
of making great lengths of papyrus of light colour and fine
texture attained its highest perfection in the XlXth dynasty.
An examination of Theban papyri shows that the work of
writing and illuminating a fine copy of the Book of the
Dead was frequently distributed between two or more
groups of artists and scribes, and that the sections were
afterwards joined up into a whole. Occasionally by error
two groups of men would transcribe the same Chapter ;
hence in the Papyrus of Ani, Chapter XVIII occurs twice.

The sections or Chapters of the Theban Recension
are a series of separate and distinct compositions, which, like
the sections of the Pyramid Texts, had no fixed order either
on coffins or in papyri. Unlike these texts, however, with
very few exceptions each composition has a special title
and Vignette which indicate its purpose. The general
selection of the Chapters for a papyrus seems to have been
left to the individual fancy of the purchaser or scribe, but
certain of them were no doubt absolutely necessary for the
preservation of the body of the deceased in the tomb, and
for the welfare of his soul in its new state of existence.
Traditional selections would probably be respected, and
recent selections approved by any dominant school of reli-
gious thought in Egypt were without doubt accepted.

While in the period of the Pyramid Texts the various
sections were said or sung by priests, probably assisted by

^ Naville, Todtenbuch (Einleitung), pp. 41-43.

28 The Papyrus of Ani

some members of the family of the deceased, the welfare
of his soul and body being proclaimed for him as an
established fact, in the Theban Recension the hymns and
prayers to the gods were put into the mouth of the
deceased. As none but the great and wealthy could afford
the ceremonies which were performed in the early dynasties,
economy was probably the chief cause of this change, which
had come about at Thebes as early as the Xllth dynasty.
Little by little the ritual portions of the Book of the Dead
disappeared, until finally, in the Theban Recension, the only
Chapters of this class which remain are the XXI Ind,
XXIIIrd, CVth, CXXXVIIth, and CLIst.i Every Chap-
ter and prayer of this recension was to be said in the next
world, where the words, properly uttered, enabled the
deceased to overcome every foe and to attain to the life of
the perfected soul which dwelt in a spiritual body in the
abode of the blessed.

The common name for the Book of the Dead in the
Theban Period, and probably also before this date, is

rn v^ ' pert em kru, which words have been

variously translated: "manifested in the light," "coming
forth from the day," "coming forth by day," "la manifesta-
tion au jour," "la manifestation a la lumiere," "[Kapitel
von] der Erscheinung im Lichte," " Erscheinen am Tage,"
"[Caput] egrediendi in lucem," etc. This name, however,
had probably a meaning for the Egyptians which has not
yet been rendered in a modern language, and one impor-
tant idea in connection with the whole work is expressed
by another title" which calls it "the chapter of making
strong ((?r perfect) the KhuT

Jn the Theban Recension the main principles of the
Egyptian religion which were held in the times when the
Pyramid Texts were written are maintained, and the views
concerning the eternal existence of the soul remain unaltered.
Many passages in the work, however, show that modifica-
tions and developments in details have taken place, and

^ See Naville, Todtenhuch (Einleitung), p. 20. On the titles "Book of
the Dead " and " Rituel Funeraire " which have been given to these texts,
see Lepsius, Todfefiduck, p. 3 ; De Rouge, Revue ArcMologique, N.S., t. I,
i860, pp. 69-100.

^ See NavilJe, Einleitung, p. 24.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 29

much that is not met with in the early dynasties appears,
so far as we know, for the first time. The Vignettes, too,
are additions to the work ; but, although they depict scenes
in the life beyond the grave, they do not seem to form
a connected series, and it is doubtful if they are arranged
on any definite plan. A general idea of the contents of
this version may be gathered from the following list of
Chapters^ : —

Chapter I. Here begin the Chapters of " Coming
Forth by Day," and of the songs of praise and glorifying,'^
and of coming forth from, and going into, the Underworld.^
With Rubric.

Vignette : The funeral procession from the house of
the dead to the tomb.

Chapter lb. The Chapter of making the Sahu, or

Spirit-body | t , to go into the Tuat x fc\ . on the

day of the burial.* With Rubric.

Vignette ; Anubis standing by the bier upon which
the mummy of the deceased is laid.

Chapter II. [The Chapter of] coming forth by day
and of living after death.

Vignette : A man standing, holding a staff I .

Chapter III. Another Chapter like unto it {i.e., like
Chapter II).°

This Chapter has no Vignette.

1 The various Chapters of the Book of the Dead were numbered by
Lepsius in his edition of the Turin Papyrus in 1842. This papyrus,
however, is a product of the Ptolemaic Period, and contains a number of
Chapters which are wanting in the Theban Recension. For convenience,
Lepsius' numbers are retained, and the Chapters which belong to the
Saite Recension are indicated by an asterisk.

" Another title reads : — "The Chapter of going in to the divine chiefs
of Osiris on the day of the burial, and of going in after coming forth."
This Chapter had to be recited on the day of the burial.

3 "=1

Khert-Neter, the commonest name for the tomb.

sma ta, "the union with the earth." A copy of

this Chapter, with the pictures of the nine worms mentioned in the text, is
given in the Papyrus of luau (ed. Naville), as I pointed out in my Chapters
of Coming Forth by Day, 2nd edition, Vol. I, p. Ixxxix, London, 1909.

'" In some papyri Chapters II and III are united and have only one
title ; see Naville, Todtenbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 6.

30 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter IV. Another Chapter of passing along the
way over the earth.

This Chapter has no Vignette.

Chapter V. The Chapter of not allowing the deceased
to do work in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased kneeling on one knee.

Chapter VI. The Chapter of making ushabtiu figures
do work for a man in the Underworld.

Vignette : An tishabti figure

Chapter VII. The Chapter of passing over the
accursed back of Aapep, the evil one.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent.

Chapter VIII. The Chapter of passing through
Amentet, and of coming forth by day.

Vignette : The deceased standing by w.

Chapter IX. The Chapter of Coming Forth by Day
after passing through the tomb.

Vignette : The deceased adoring a ram ^^.

Chapter X. (See Chapter XLVIII.)

Chapter XI. The Chapter of a man coming forth
against his enemies in the Underworld.

This Chapter has no Vignette, either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

Chapter XII. Another Chapter of going into, and of
coming forth from, the Tuat.

This Chapter has no Vignette, either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

Chapter XIII. The Chapter of going into, and of
coming forth, from Amentet. With Rubric, in the Saite
Recension.

This Chapter has no Vignette, either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

Chapter XIV. The Chapter of driving away shame
from the heart of the god in respect of the deceased.

This Chapter has no Vignette, either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 31

Chapter XV. A Hymn of praise to Ra when he
riseth in the eastern horizon of heaven, Hymn and Litany
to Osiris, and a Hymn to Ra.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra.

Chapter XVb. I. A Hymn of praise to Ra when he
setteth in the land of Hfe.

Vignette : The deceased adoring the setting san.

Chapter XVb. 2. A Hymn of praise to Ra-
Harmakhis when he setteth in the western horizon of
heaven.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra.

Chapter XVb. 3. Another hidden Chapter of the
Tuat, and of passing through the secret places of the Under-
world, and of seeing the Disk when it setteth in Amentet.

Vignette : The god or the deceased spearing a serpent.

Chapter XVI. Vignette only, referring to Chapter XV.

Chapter XVII. Here begin the praises and glorifyings
of coming out from, and going into, the Underworld in the
beautiful Amenta ; of coming out by day, and of making
transformations and of changing into any form which he
pleaseth ; of playing at draughts in the Seh chamber ; and
of coming forth in the form of a living soul : to be said by
the deceased after his death.

Vignette : The deceased playing at draughts ; the
deceased adoring the Lion-gods of yesterday and to-day ; the
bier of Osiris with Isis and Nephthys at the foot and head
respectively, etc. See the descriptions of Plates VH-X.

Chapter XVIII. Without tide.

Vignette : The deceased adoring the groups of gods
belonging to various cities which were centres of the cult
of Osiris.

Chapter XIX.* The Chapter of the crown of victory.
With Rubric.

This Chapter has no vignette.

Chapter XX. Without tide in the Theban Recension,
but in the Saite Recension it is called " Another Chapter of
the Crown of Victory."

This Chapter has no vignette either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

32 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter XXI. The Chapter of giving a mouth to
a man in the Underworld.

A priest performing the ceremony of opening the mouth
on the deceased.

Chapter XXII. The Chapter of giving a mouth to
the deceased in the Underworld.

Vignette : The "guardian of the scales " opening the
mouth of the deceased.

Chapter XXIII. The Chapter of " opening the
mouth " of the deceased in the Underworld.

Vignette : The Seni priest " opening the mouth " of
the deceased with the Ur-kekmi instrument.

Chapter XXIV. The Chapter of bringinc^ words of
magical power to the deceased in the Underworld.

This Chapter has no Vignette in the Theban Recension.

Chapter XXV. The Chapter of causing a man to
remember his name in the Underworld.

Vignette : A priest holding up t before the deceased.

Chapter XXVI. The Chapter of giving a heart to
the deceased in the Underworld.

Vignette : Anubis giving the deceased a necklace to
which is attached a pectoral with a heart in it.

Chapter XXVII. The Chapter of not allowing the
heart of a man to be taken from him in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased adoring his heart s ^ in the
presence of the Four Sons of Horus.

Chapter XXVIII. [The Chapter of] not allowing
the heart of a man to be taken from him in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased with his left hand touching
the heart upon his breast, kneeling before a demon holding
a knife.

Chapter XXIXa. The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be taken away from him.

Vignette : The deceased holding a staff.

Chapter XXIXb. The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be taken away dead.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 33

Chapter XXIXc. Another Chapter of a heart of
carnelian.

Vignette : The deceased sitting on a chair before his
heart, which rests on a stand, ^'^ , or a heart only.

Chapter XXX. The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be carried off from him. With Rubric.
[Sai'te Recension.]

Vignette : The deceased adoring a beetle.

Chapter XXXa. The Chapter of not allowing the
heart of a man to be carried away from him in the
Underworld.

Vignette : A heart, '^.

Chapter XXXb. The Chapter of not allowing the
heart of a man to be carried away from him in the
Underworld. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased being weighed against his
heart in the balance in the presence of Osiris, " the great
god, the prince of eternity."

Chapter XXXI. The Chapter of repulsing the
crocodile which cometh to carry the magical words

R I j ^^ ^ I from a man in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased slaying three or four
crocodiles.

Chapter XXXII.* The Chapter of repulsing the
crocodile that cometh to carry the magical words from
a man in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased spearing four crocodiles.

Chapter XXXIII. The Chapter of repulsing serpents
of all kinds.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a snake.

Chapter XXXIV. The Chapter of a man not being
bitten by a serpent in the hall of the tomb.^

This Chapter has no vignette either in the Theban or
Saite Recension.

Chapter XXXV. The Chapter of not being eaten
by worms in the Underworld.

Vignette : Three serpents.

VOL. I. D

34 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter XXXVI. The Chapter of repulsing Apshai

(•

Vignette : The deceased spearing a beetle, or a pig,
or about to slay Apshai.

Chapter XXXVII. The Chapter of repulsing the

two Merti-o'oddesses <=>

Vignette : Two uraei, which represent the two eyes
of Ra.

Chapter XXXVI I la. The Chapter of living upon
the air which is in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased holding a sail -^C-^, emblematic
of air.

Chapter XXXVIIIb. The Chapter of living upon
air and of repulsing the two Merti.

Vignette : The deceased attacking three serpents,
a knife in his right hand and a sail in his left.

Chapter XXXIX. The Chapter of repulsing the
serpent in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent.

Chapter XL. The Chapter of repulsing the Eater of
the Ass.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent which is
biting the neck of an ass.

Chapter XLI. The Chapter of avoiding the
slaughterings which are performed in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent.

Chapter XLII. [The Chapter] of avoiding slaughter
in Hensu (Herakleopolis).

Vignette : A man adjuring a serpent.

Chapter XLIII. The Chapter of not allowing the
head of a man to be cut off from him in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased addressing three gods.

Chapter XLIV. The Chapter of not dying a second
time.

Vignette : The deceased seated on a chair of state.

Chapter XLV. The Chapter of not seeing corruption.
With Rubric.

Vignette : Anubis holding the mummy of the deceased.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 35

Chapter XLVI. The Chapter of not decaying, and
of Hving in the Underworld.

Vignette : The Heart-soul and Spirit-soul at the door
of the tomb.

Chapter XLVI I. The Chapter of not letting be
carried away the throne from a man in the Underworld.
This Chapter has no Vignette in the Theban Recension.

Chapter XLVI 1 1. [The Chapter of a man coming
forth against] his enemies.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent.

Chapter XLIX.* The Chapter of a man coming
forth against his enemies in the Underworld.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter L. The Chapter of not going in to the
chamber of the divine block. Two versions of this Chapter
are known, but only one has a Vignette.

Vignette : A man standing with his back to the block.

Chapter LI. The Chapter of not being tripped up in
the Underworld.

Vignette : A man standing upright.

Chapter LI I. The Chapter of not eating filth in the
Underworld.

Vignette : A man seated before a table of food [Saite
Recension].

Chapter LI 1 1. The Chapter of not eating filth and
of not drinking polluted water in the Underworld.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter LIV. The Chapter of giving air to the
deceased in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased holding a sail.

Chapter LV. Another Chapter of giving air.
Vignette : The deceased holding a sail in each hand.

Chapter LVI. The Chapter of snuffing the air in the
earth.

Vignette : The deceased holding a sail.

Chapter LVI I. The Chapter of snuffing the air and
of gaining the mastery over the waters in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased holding a sail, and standing
in a running stream.

D 2

36 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter LVIII. The Chapter of snuffing the air and
of gaining power over the water which is in the Under-
world.

Vignette : The deceased drinking water in a running
stream.

Chapter LIX. The Chapter of snuffing the air and
of gaining power over the water which is in the Under-
world.

Vignette : The deceased receiving meat and drink
from Nut or Hathor.

Chapter LX.* Another Chapter.
Vignette : The deceased holding a lotus.

Chapter LXI. The Chapter of not letting the Heart-
soul of a man be taken from him.

Vignette : The deceased clasping his Heart-soul.

Chapter LXI I. The Chapter of drinking water.
Vignette : The deceased scooping up water with his
hands.

Chapter LXI I la. The Chapter of drinking water,
and of not being burnt with fire.

Vignette : The deceased catching water in a bowl.

Chapter LXI I lb. The Chapter of not being boiled
(or scalded) in the water.

Vignette : The deceased seated before a table of food.

Chapter LXIV. The Chapter of coming forth by
day in the Underworld. Two versions, each with a Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring the disk, which
stands on the top of a tree.

Chapter LXV. [The Chapter of] coming forth by
day, and of gaining the mastery over foes. In two versions.
Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra.

Chapter LXVI. [The Chapter of] coming forth by
day.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter LXVI I. The Chapter of opening the doors
of the Tuat and of Coming Forth by Day.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 37

Chapter LXVIII. The Chapter of Coming Forth
by day. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased kneeling by the side of a tree
before Hathor.

Chapter LXIX. Another Chapter.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter LXX. Another Chapter.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter LXXI. The Chapter of Coming Forth by
day. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased with both hands raised in
adoration kneeling before the goddess Meh-urt.

Chapter LXXI I. The Chapter of Coming Forth by
Day and of passing through the Amehet. With Rubric.
Vignette : The deceased standing before his tomb.

Chapter LXXIII. See Chapter IX.

Chapter LXXIV. The Chapter of lifting up the legs
and coming forth upon earth.

Vignette : The deceased kneeling before the Henu
Boat of Seker.

Chapter LXXV. The Chapter of travelling to Anu
(On), and of receiving a throne there.

Vignette : The deceased standing before the object

Anu I .

Chapter LXXVI. The Chapter of [a man] changing
into whatsoever form he pleaseth.
This Chapter has no Vignette.

Chapter LXXVI I. The Chapter of changing into
a golden hawk.

Vignette : A golden hawk, ^ .

Chapter LXXVI 1 1. The Chapter of changing into
a divine hawk.

Vignette : A hawk, ^ .

38 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter LXXIX. The Chapter of being among the
Company of the Gods, and of becoming a prince among the
divine powers.

Vignette : The deceased adoring three gods, who
represent the Four Sons of Horus.

Chapter LXXX. The Chapter of changing into a
god, and of sending forth Hght into darkness.

Vignette : A god, with the solar disk on his head.

Chapter LXXXIa. The Chapter of changing into
a Hly.

Vignette : A Hly.

Chapter LXXXIb. The Chapter of chancrino- into
a lily.

Vignette : The head of the deceased rising out of a
hly Y'

Chapter LXXXII. The Chapter of changing into
Ptah, of eating cakes, of drinking ale, of unloosing the body,
and of living in Anu (On).

Vignette : The god Ptah in a shrine.

Chapter LXXXII I. The Chapter of changing into
a Benu bird.

Vignette : A Benu bird ^S. With Rubric.

Chapter LXXXIV. The Chapter of changing into
a heron.

Vignette : A heron.

Chapter LXXXV. The Chapter of changing into
the Soul, of not going into the place of punishment : who-
soever knoweth it will never perish.

Vignette : The Soul-god in the form of a Ram.

Chapter LXXXVI. The Chapter of changing into a
swallow. With Rubric.

Vignette : A swallow.

Chapter LXXXVI I.

serpent Sa-ta.
Vignette : A serpent.

Chapter LXXXVI I. The Chapter of changing into
the serpent Sa-ta.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 39

Chapter LXXXVIII. The Chapter of changing into
a crocodile.

Vignette : A crocodile.

Chapter LXXXIX. The Chapter of making the
Heart-soul to be united to its body. With Rubric.

Vignette : The soul visiting the body, which lies on a
bier.

Chapter XC. The Chapter of driving evil recollec-
tions from a man.

Vignette : The deceased addressing Thoth. (Saite
Recension.)

Chapter XCI. The Chapter of not allowing the soul
of a man to be shut in. With Rubric.

Vignette : A soul standing at the door of the tomb.

Chapter XCI I. The Chapter of opening the tomb
to the soul and shadow of a man, so that he may come
forth and may gain power over his legs.

Vignette : The soul of the deceased flying through the
door of the tomb to the shadow (?).

Chapter XCI 11. The Chapter of not sailing to the
east in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased addressing Her-f-ha-f.

Chapter XCIV. The Chapter of praying for an ink
jar and palette.

Vignette : The deceased sitting before a stand, upon
which are an ink jar and palette.

Chapter XCV. The Chapter of being near Thoth.
Vignette : The deceased standing before Thoth ;
variant, a goose.

Chapter XCVI. The Chapter of being near Thoth,
and of giving glory unto a man in the Underworld.
Vignette : The deceased standing near Thoth.

Chapter XCVII. [No title.]

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra in his boat.

Chapter XCVI 1 1. The Chapter of bringing a boat
in heaven.

Vignette : wanting.

40 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter XCIX. The Chapter of bringing a boat in
the Underworld.

Vignette : A boat with the sail hoisted.

Chapter C. The Chapter of making- perfect the Spirit-
soul, and of making it to enter into the boat of Ra, together
with his divine followers. With Rubric.

Vignette : A boat containing a Company of Gods.

Chapter CI. [The Chapter of protecting the boat of
Ra.] With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased in the boat with Ra. (Saite
Recension.)

Chapter CI I. The Chapter of going into the boat
of Ra.

Vignette : The deceased in the boat with Ra.

Chapter CI 1 1. The Chapter of being in the following
of Hathor.

Vignette : The deceased standing behind Hathor.

Chapter CIV. The Chapter of sitting among the
great gods.

Vignette : The deceased seated between two gods.

Chapter CV. The Chapter of providing offerings for

the ka Ji-

Vignette : The deceased burning incense before his ka.

Chapter CVI. The Chapter of giving sepulchral
meals each day to a man in Het-ka-Ptah (Memphis).
Vignette : An altar with meat and drink offerings.

Chapter CVI I.* The Chapter of going into, and of
coming forth from, the gate of the gods of the west among
the followers of the ood, and of knowing: the souls of
Amentet.

Vignette : Three deities : Ra, Sebek, and Hathor.

Chapter CVI 1 1. The Chapter of knowing the souls
of the West.

Vignette : Three deities : Temu, Sebek, and Hathor.

Chapter CIX. The Chapter of knowing the souls of
the East.

Vignette : The deceased making adoration before
Ra-Heru-khuti.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 41

Chapter CX. The beginning of the Chapters of the
Field of Offerings, and of the Chapters of Coming Forth
by Day, and of going into, and of coming forth from, the
Underworld, and of attaining unto the Field of Reeds, and
of being in the Field of Offerings.

Vignette : The Field of Offerings.

Chapter CXI. See Chapter CVIII.

Chapter CXI I. Another Chapter of knowing the
souls of Pe.

Vignette : Horus, Kesta, and Hapi.

Chapter CXI 1 1. The Chapter of knowing the souls
of Nekhen.

Vignette : Horus, Tuamutef, and Qebhsenuf

Chapter CXIV. The Chapter of knowing the souls
of Khemenu (Hermopolis).

Vignette : Three ibis-headed gods.

Chapter CXV. The Chapter of coming forth to
heaven, of passing through the hall of the tomb, and of
knowing the souls of Anu.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra, Shu, and
Sekhmet.

Chapter CXVI. [The Chapter of] knowing the souls
of Anu. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Thoth, Sau, and Tern.

Chapter CXVI I. The Chapter of taking a way in
Ra-stau.

Vignette : The deceased, holding a staff in his hand,
ascending the western hills.

Chapter CXVI 1 1. The Chapter of coming forth
from Ra-stau.

Vignette : The deceased holding a staff in his left hand.

Chapter CXIX. The Chapter of knowing the name
of Osiris, and of going into, and of coming forth from,
Ra-stau.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Osiris, who stands
in a shrine.

Chapter CXX. See Chapter XII.

Chapter CXXI. See Chapter XIII.

42 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter CXXII. The Chapter of the deceased going
in after coming forth from the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased bowing before his tomb,
which is on a hill. (Saite Recension.)

Chapter CXXIII. The Chapter of going into the
great house {i.e., tomb).

Vignette : The deceased standing before a tomb.

Chapter CXXIV. The Chapter of going in to the
princes of Osiris.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Kesta, Hapi,
Tuamutef, and Oebhsenuf

Chapter CXXV. The words which are to be uttered
by the deceased when he cometh to the hall of Maati,
which separateth him from his sins, and which maketh him
to see God, the Lord of mankind. With Rubric.

A. The Introduction.

B. The Negative Confession.

C. Address of the deceased after the Judgment.
Vignette : The hall of Maati, in which the heart of

the deceased is being weighed in a balance in the presence
of the great gods.

Chapter CXXVI. [Without tide.]
Vignette : A lake of fire, at each corner of which sits
an ape.

Chapter CXXVI la. The book of the praise of the

gods of the Circles "^ ^v'~~'-

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CXXVI lb. The Chapter of the words to
be spoken on going to the Chiefs of Osiris, and of the praise
of the gods who are leaders in the TnaL

Vignette : Eight pairs of gods, with a table of offerings
before each pair.

Chapter CXXVIII.* The Chapter of praising Osiris.
Vignette : The deceased adoring three deities.

Chapter CXXIX. See Chapter C.

Chapter CXXX. The Chapter of making perfect
the Si)irit-soul. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased standing between the two
boats of the Sun-god, the Maatet and the Sektet.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 43

Chapter CXXXI.* The Chapter of having existence
nisfh unto Ra.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CXXXII. The Chapter of making a man
to go about to see his house upon the earth.

Vignette : A man standing before a house or tomb.

Chapter CXXXII I. The Chapter of making perfect
the Spirit-soul in the Underworld in the presence of the
Great Company of the Gods. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra who is seated in
a boat.

Chapter CXXXIV. The Chapter of entering into
the boat of Ra, and of being among those who are in his
train. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Shu, Tefnut, Keb,
Nut, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Hathor.

Chapter CXXXV.* Another Chapter, which is to
be recited at the waxing of the moon [each] month.
This Chapter has no Vignette.

Chapter CXXXVIa. The Chapter of sailing in the
boat of Ra. In two versions : the second with Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased standing with hands raised
in adoration.

Chapter CXXXVIb. The Chapter of sailing in the
great boat of Ra, to pass over the fiery path of the sun.
Vignette : The head of Ra in a boat.

Chapter CXXXVIIa. The Chapter of the four
blazing torches which are to be lighted for the Khu. With
Rubrics.

Vignette : Four men, each holding a lighted torch.

Chapter CXXXVIIb. The Chapter of the deceased

kindling the fire.

Vignette : The goddess Taurt kindling a flame.

Chapter CXXXVIII. The Chapter of making the
deceased to enter into Abydos.

Vignette : The deceased adoring the standard ^ .
Chapter CXXXIX. See Chapter CXXIII.

44 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter CXL.* The Book which is to be recited in
the second month of the season Pert, when the tUchat is
full in the second month of Pert. With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Anpu, the utchat,
and Ra. (Saite Recension.)

Chapters CXLI-CXLII. The Book which is to be
recited by a man for his father and for his son at the
festivals of Amentet. It will make him perfect before Ra
and before the gods, and he shall dwell with them. It shall
be recited on the ninth day of the festival.

Chapter CXLIII. This is the Vignette of Chapter
CXLII.

Vignette : The deceased making offerings before a god.

Chapter CXLI V. The Chapter of entering in. With
Rubric.

Vignette : Seven pylons, each guarded by a door-
keeper, a watchman, and a herald.

Chapter CXLVa. [Without tide.]
This Chapter has no Vignette.

Chapter CXLVb. [The Chapter] of coming forth to
the hidden pylons.

This Chapter has no Vignette. The Saite Recension
contains many Vignettes,

Chapter CXLVI. [The Chapter of] knowing the
pylons in the House of Osiris in the Field of Reeds.

Vignette : A series of pylons guarded each by a god.

Chapter CXLVII. [A Chapter] to be recited by the
deceased when he cometh to the first hall of Amentet.
With Rubric.

Vignette : A series of doors, each guarded by a god.

Chapter CXLVI 1 1. [The Chapter] of nourishing
the Khu in the Underworld, and of removing him from
every evil thing. With Rubric.

Vignette : The Seven Cows and their Bull, and the
Four Rudders of Heaven.

Chapter CXLIX. [The Chapter of the Aats.]
Vignette : The Aats of the House of Osiris.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 45

Chapter CL. [Without title.]

Vignette : The Aats of the House of Osiris in tabular
form.

Chapter CLI. [Without title.]
Vignette : Scene of the mummy chamber.

Chapter CLIa. [Chapter] of the hands of Anpu, the
dweller in the sepulchral chamber, being upon the lord of
life {i.e., the mummy).

Vignette : Anubis standing by the bier of the deceased.

Chapter CLIb. The Chapter of the chief of hidden
things.

Vignette : A human head.

Chapter CLI I. The Chapter of building a house in
the earth.

Vignette : The deceased laying the foundations of his
house.

Chapter CLI I la. The Chapter of coming forth from
the net.

Vignette : A net by the side of which stands the
deceased.

Chapter CLI I lb. The Chapter of coming forth from
the fishing net.

Vignette : Three apes drawing a fishing net.

Chapter CLIV. The Chapter of not allowing the
body of a man to decay in the tomb.

Vignette : The sun shining on the body of the deceased.
(Saite Recension.)

Chapter CLV. The Chapter of a Tet of gold to be
placed on the neck of the Kku. With Rubric.

Vignette : A Tet u, i.e., the sacrum bone of Osiris.

Chapter CLVI. The Chapter of a Tet of amethyst
to be placed on the neck of the Kku. With Rubric.

Vignette : A Tet X, i.e., the uterus and vagina of Isis.

Chapter CLVI I.* The Chapter of a vulture of gold
to be placed on the neck of the Kku. With Rubric.
Vignette : A vulture.

46 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter CLVIIL* The Chapter of a collar of gold
to be placed on the neck of the Khu. With Rubric.
Vignette : A collar.

Chapter CLIX.* The Chapter of a sceptre of mother-
of-emerald to be placed on the neck of the Khu. With
Rubric.

Vignette : A sceptre |.

Chapter CLX. [The Chapter] of placing a plaque of
mother-of-emerald.

Vignette : Thoth giving a plaque to the deceased.

Chapter CLXI. The Chapter of the opening of the
doors of heaven by Thoth, etc. With Rubric.

Vignette : Thoth opening the four doors of heaven.

Chapter CLXIL* The Chapter of causing heat to
exist under the head of the Khu. With Rubric.

Vignette : A cow, with a pair of plumes and a disk
between her horns.

Chapter CLXIII.* The Chapter of not allowing the
body of a man to decay in the Underworld. With Rubric.

Vignette : Two utchats and a serpent, each on a pair
of human legs.

Chapter CLXIV.* Another Chapter. With Rubric.
Vignette : A three-headed goddess, winged, standing
between two pigmies.

Chapter CLXV.* The Chapter of arriving in port,
of not becoming unseen, and of making the body to ger-
minate, and of satisfying it with the water of heaven.
With Rubric.

Vignette : The god Menu with a beetle's body, and a
man with a ram's head on each shoulder.

Chapter CLXVI. The Chapter of the pillow.
Vignette : A pillow or head-rest.

Chapter CLXVI I. The Chapter of bringing the
utchat.

Vignette : An utchat resting on fss?^.

Chapter CLXVIIIa. [Without tide.]
Vignette : The boats of the sun, etc.

Chapters of the Theban Recension 47

Chapter CLXVIIIb. [Without title.]
Vignette : Men pouring libations, gods, etc.

Chapter CLXIX. The Chapter of setting up the
funerary chamber.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXX. The Chapter of arranging the
funerary chamber.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXI. The Chapter of tying on the
garment of purity.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXII. Here begin the Chapters of the
praises which are to be recited in the Underworld.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXIII. Addresses by Horus to his
father.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Osiris.

Chapter CLXXIV. The Chapter of causing the Khu
to come forth from the great gate of heaven.

Vignette : The deceased coming forth from a door.

Chapter CLXXV. The Chapter of not dying a
second time in the Underworld.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Thoth.

Chapter CLXXVI. The Chapter of not dying a
second time in the Underworld. With Rubric.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXVI I. The Chapter of raising up the
Khu, and of making- the soul to live in the Underworld.
Vignette : The deceased receiving offerings.

Chapter CLXXVI 1 1. The Chapter of raising up the
body, of making the eyes to see, of making the ears to hear,
of setting firm the head and of giving it its powers.

Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXIX. The Chapter of coming forth
from yesterday, of Coming Forth by Day, and of praying
with the hands.

Vignette : Wanting.

48 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter CLXXX. The Chapter of Coming Forth
by Day, of praising Ra in Amentet, and of ascribing praise
unto those who are in the Tuat.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Ra and two other
gods.

Chapter CLXXXI. The Chapter of going in to the
divine Chiefs of Osiris who are the leaders in the Tuat.
With Rubric.

Vignette : The deceased adoring Osiris, etc.

Chapter CLXXXII. The Book of stablishing the
backbone of Osiris, of giving breath to him whose heart is
still, and of repulsing the enemies of Osiris by Thoth.

Vignette : The deceased lying on a bier in a funeral
chest, surrounded by various gods.

Chapter CLXXXIII. A hymn of praise to Osiris;
ascribing to him glory, and to Un-nefer adoration.

Vignettes : The deceased, with hands raised in adora-
tion, and the god Thoth.

Chapter CLXXXIV. The Chapter of being with
Osiris.

Vignette : The deceased standing by the side of Osiris.

Chapter CLXXXV. The ascription of praise to
Osiris, and of adoration to the everlasting lord.

Vignette : The deceased making adoration to Osiris.

Chapter CLXXXVI. A hymn of praise to Hathor,
mistress of Amentet, and to Meh-urt.

Vignette : The deceased approaching the mountain of
the dead, from which appears the goddess Hathor.

Chapter CLXXXVI I. The Chapter of entering into
the Company of the Gods.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXXVI 1 1. The Chapter of building a
house, and of appearing in a human form.
Vignette : Wanting.

Chapter CLXXXIX. The Chapter of not letting a
man suffer hunger.

Vignette : Wanting.

The Greenfield Papyrus 49

Chapter CXC. The Book of making perfect the Khu.
With Rubric.

Vignette : Wanting,

In the papyri containing the Theban Recension which
are written in the hieratic character, the Rubrics, catchwords,
and certain accursed names, Hke that of Aapep, are in red.
The vignettes are roughly traced in black outline, and are
without ornament ; but at the right-hand ends of the best
papyri painted scenes, in which the deceased is depicted
making adoration to Ra or Horus, are frequently found.
The names and titles of the deceased are written in perpen-
dicular rows of hieroglyphs. The finest example of this
class of papyri is the Papyrus of Nesitanebtashru (the
Greenfield Papyrus) in the British Museum (No. 10554).
Before opening, this papyrus formed a compact roll about
I foot 8|- inches in length, which was flatter at one end
than the other. With the exception of a few hieroglyphs
at the beginning of the papyrus, and portions of the figures
of Osiris and the deceased, the document is complete, and
text and Vignettes are in a remarkable state of preservation.
The papyrus is nearly 123 feet long and i foot 6|- inches
wide ; it contains 2,666 lines of text, hieratic chiefly,
arranged in 172 columns. The papyrus is the longest of
the Theban codices of the Book of the Dead, and with the
exception of the great Harris Papyrus, which measures
133 feet by i foot \\ inches, is the longest papyrus known.
All the texts are written in black ink, the titles of the
Chapters, the Rubrics, catchwords, etc, being in red ; the
fine long series of Vignettes are drawn in black outline
throughout. The artistic work is of a very high character,
and is probably the best example extant of line drawing
under the New Empire, The papyrus is written chiefiy in
hieratic, a script which is both written and read from right
to left, and therefore begins at the right-hand end of the
papyrus. The so-called " Negative Confession " appears in
it in two copies, one in hieratic, and the other in hieroglyphs.
The papyrus was written in the second quarter of the tenth
century before Christ, and is for all practical purposes a
dated document. Its authority for deciding questions con-
cerning hieratic palaeography under the New Empire is
very great. It contains eighty-seven Chapters of the

VOL, I. E

50 The Papyrus of Ani

Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead. A facsimile
of the papyrus, with a description of its contents, list of
Chapters, etc., has been recently published by the Trustees
of the British Museum.^ Other fine examples of the
hieratic and hieroglyphic papyri of this period are the
copies of the Book of the Dead which were written for
Maat-ka-Ra and Nesi-Khensu, and which have been
recently published with a luminous introduction by Professor
Naville.^ The character of the handwriting- chancres in
different periods, but within a hundred years, apparently,
the fine flowing style disappears, and the writing becomes
much smaller and is somewhat cramped ; the process of
reduction in size continues until the XXVIth dynasty,
about 600 B.C., when the small and coarsely written charac-
ters are frequently difficult to decipher. The papyri upon
which such texts are written vary in length from 3 to
about 1 20 feet, and in width from 9 to 1 8 inches ; as we
approach the period of the XXVIth dynasty the texture
becomes coarser and the material is darker in colour. The
Theban papyri of this period are lighter in colour than
those found in the North of Egypt and are less brittle ;
they certainly suffer less in unrolling.

The Saite Recension was in vogue from the period
of the XXVIth dynasty, about 600 B.C., to probably the end
of the rule of the Ptolemies over Egypt, about 30 B.C..

^ The Greenfield Papyrus in the British Afuseum, with Introduction and
Descriptioti by E. A. Wallis Budge, London, 191 2.

" Papyrus Funeraires de la XXP Dynastie, Paris, 191 2, large 4to.
Professor Naville is about to publish the text of the contract between
Amen-Ra and Nesi-Khensu, of which a transcript and translation were
given by Professor Maspero in his Momies Poyales, pp. 600 ff. The text of
this remarkable document is divided into paragraphs, which contain neither
prayers nor hymns but a veritable contract between the god Amen-Ra
and the princess Nesi-Khensu. After the list of the names and titles of
Amen-Ra with which it begins follow eleven sections, wherein the god

declares in legal phraseology that he hath deified the princess ( (J ^ rvf H

n f ^ zIZ^ ^ I ^k J\ j in Amenta and in Khert-Neter ;

that he hath deified her soul and her body in order that neither may be
destroyed ; that he hath made her divine like every god and goddess ; and
that he hath decreed that whatever is necessary for her in her new existence
shall be done for her, even as it is done for every other god and goddess.
For an English translation see my Chapters of Cof?iing Forth by Day,
Second Edition, Vol. Ill, London, 1909.

The Saite Recension 51

The Chapters have a fixed and definite order, and it seems
that a careful revision of the whole work was carried out,
and that several alterations of an important nature were
made in it. A number of Chapters which are not found
in older papyri appear durinor this period ; but these are not
necessarily new inventions, for as the kings of the XXV I th
dynasty are renowned for having revived the arts and
sciences and literature of the earliest dynasties, it is quite
possible that many or most of the additional Chapters are
nothing more than new editions of extracts from older
works. Many copies of this Recension were written by
scribes who did not understand what they were copying,
and omissions of signs, words, and even whole passages are
very common. In papyri of the Ptolemaic Period it is
impossible to read many passages without the help of texts
of earlier periods. The papyri of this period vary in colour
from a light to a dark brown, and consist usually of layers
composed of strips of the plant measuring about 2 inches
in width and 14^ to 16 inches in length. Fine examples
of Books of the Dead of this Recension vary in length from
about 24I- feet (Brit. Mus. No. 10479, written for the utcheb

Heru, the son of the titcheb Tchehra A7^ "^^ AX ^T)^ )

to 60 feet. Hieroglyphic texts are written in black, in
perpendicular rows between rules, and hieratic texts in
horizontal lines ; both the hieroglyphs and the hieratic
characters lack the boldness of the writing of the Theban
Period, and exhibit the characteristics of an untrained
hand. The titles of the Chapters, catchwords, the words
""Y^ which introduce a variant reading, etc., are sometimes
written in red. The Vignettes are usually traced in black
outline, and form a kind of continuous border above the
text. In good papyri, however, the scene forming the
XVIth Chapter, the scene of the Fields of Peace (Chapter
CX), the Judgment scene (Chapter CXXV), the Vignette
of Chapter CXLVIII, the scene forming Chapter CLI (the
sepulchral chamber), and the Vignette of Chapter CLXI, fill
the whole width of the inscribed portion of the papyrus, and
are painted in somewhat crude colours. In some papyri the
disk on the head of the hawk of Horus is covered with gold
leaf, instead of being painted red as is usual in older papyri.
In the Graeco- Roman period both texts and Vignettes are

E 2

52 The Papyrus of Ani

very carelessly executed, and it is evident that they were
written and drawn by ignorant workmen in the quickest
and most careless way possible. In this period also certain
passages of the text were copied in hieratic and demotic
upon small pieces of papyri which were buried with portions
of the bodies of the dead, and upon narrow bandages of
coarse linen in which they were swathed.^

THE LEGEND OF OSIRIS

The essential beliefs of the Egyptian religion remained
unchanged from the earliest dynasties down to the period
when the Egyptians embraced Christianity, after the
preaching of St. Mark the Evangelist in Alexandria, a.d. 69,
so firmly had the early beliefs taken possession of the
Egyptian mind. And the Christians in Egypt, or Copts as
they are commonly called, the racial descendants of the
ancient Egyptians, seem never to have succeeded in divesting
themselves of the superstitious and weird mythological con-
ceptions which they inherited from their heathen ancestors.
It is not necessary here to repeat the proofs of this fact, or
to adduce evidence extant in the lives of the saints, martyrs,
and ascetics. It is sufficient to note, in passing, that the
translators of the New Testament into Coptic rendered the
Greek aSr)^ by ^.JULertT.^ A^nenti, the name which the
ancient Egyptians gave to the abode of man after death,^
and that the Copts peopled it with beings whose prototypes
are found on the ancient monuments.

The chief gods mentioned in the Pyramid Texts are
identical with those whose names are given on tomb, coffin,
and papyrus in the latest dynasties ; and if the names of the
great cosmic gods, such as Ptah and Khnemu, are of rare
occurrence, this is due to the fact that the crods of the dead
must naturally occupy the chief place in this literature
which concerns the dead. Furthermore, we find that the

^ Texts and translations of the principal compositions which took the
place of the Book of the Dead in the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods will
be found in my Chapters of Coining Forth by Day (Vol. Ill of text and
Vol. Ill of translation), Second Edition, London, 1909.

^ See St. Matthew xi, 23 ; Acts ii, 27, etc.

The Birth of Osiris 53

doctrine of eternal life and of the resurrection of a Spirit-
body based upon the ancient story of the resurrection of
Osiris after a cruel death and horrible mutilation, inflicted
by the Power of Evil, was the same in all periods, and that
the descriptions of the incidents of the death, mutilation,
resurrection, and judgment of Osiris which were written
in early dynastic times, were accepted without material
alteration or addition by the priests and people of all
periods.

The story of Osiris is nowhere found in a connected
form in Egyptian literature, but everywhere, and in texts
of all periods, the life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of
Osiris are accepted as facts universally admitted, Greek
writers have preserved in their works traditions concerning
this god, and to Plutarch ^ in particular we owe an Important
version of the legend which was current in his day. It is
clear that in some points he errs, but this was excusable in
dealing with a series of traditions already some four
thousand years old. According to this writer the goddess
Rhea [Nut], the wife of Helios [Ra], was beloved by
Kronos [Keb]. When Helios discovered the intrigue, he
cursed his wife and declared that she should not be deHvered
of her child in any month or In any year. Then the god
Hermes, who also loved Rhea, played at tables with Selene
and won from her the seventieth part of each day of the
year, which, added together, made five whole days. These
he joined to the three hundred and sixty days of which the
year then consisted.^ Upon the first of these five days was
Osiris brought forth ; ^ and at the moment of his birth a
voice was heard to proclaim that the lord of creation was
born. In course of time he became king of Egypt, and
devoted himself to civilizing his subjects and to teaching

^ For the text see De Iside et Osiride, ed. Didot (Scripta Moralia,
t. Ill, pp. 429-69), §§ XII ff.

2 The days are called in hieroglyphs ^ \\ ^ \ , "the

^ ^^^ mil <^=>Jr (E 111 I I

five additional days of the year," eTra^foftcvai yfiepai vrevTe ; see Brugsch,
Thesaurus Inscriptionum Aegyptiacarum^ Abt. II {Kakndarische Inschriften),
Leipzig, 1883, pp. 479, 480; 'brugsch, Aegypiologie, p. 361; Chabas, Zf
Calendrier, Paris (no date), pp. 99 ff.

^ Osiris was born on the first day, Horus on the second, Set on the
third, Isis on the fourth, and Nephthys on the fifth ; the first, third, and
fifth of these days were considered unlucky by the Egyptians.

54 The Papyrus of Ani

them the craft of the husbandman ; he estabHshed a code
of laws and bade men worship the gods. Having made
Egypt peaceful and flourishing, he set out to instruct the
other nations of the world. During his absence his wife
I sis so well ruled the state that Typhon [Set], the evil one,
could do no harm to the realm of Osiris. When Osiris
came again, Typhon plotted with seventy-two comrades, and
with Aso, the queen of Ethiopia, to slay him ; and secretly
got the measure of the body of Osiris, and made ready a
fair chest, which was brought into his banqueting hall when
Osiris was present together with other guests. By a ruse
Osiris was induced to lie down in the chest, which was
immediately closed by Typhon and his fellow conspirators,
who conveyed it to the Tanaitic mouth of the Nile.^ These
things happened on the seventeenth day of the month
Hathor,'^ when Osiris was in the twenty-eighth year either
of his reign or of his age. The first to know of what had
happened were the Pans and Satyrs, who dwelt hard by
Panopolis : and finally the news was brought to I sis at
Coptos, whereupon she cut off a lock of hair ^ and put on
mourning apparel. She then set out in deep grief to find
her husband's body, and in the course of her wanderings
she discovered that Osiris had been united with her sister
Nephthys, and that Anubis, the offspring of the union, had
been exposed by his mother as soon as born. I sis tracked
him by the help of dogs, and bred him up to be her guard
and attendant. Soon after she learned that the chest had
been carried by the sea to Byblos, where it had been gently

^ The mouths of the Nile are discussed and described by Strabo,
XVII, i, 1 8 (ed. Didot, p. 68i); and by Diodorus, I, 33, 7 (ed. Didot,
p. 26).

- In the Calendar in the Fourth Sallier Papyrus (No. 10184) this day is

marked triply unlucky Y Y Y , and it is said that great lamentation by

Isis and Nephthys took place for Un-nefcr (Osiris) thereon. See Chabas,
Le Calendrier, p. 50. Here we have Plutarch's statement supported by
documentary evidence. Some very interesting details concerning the
festivals of Osiris in the month Choiak are given by Loret in Kecneil de
Travaux, t. Ill, pp. 43. ff; t. IV, pp. 21 ff.; and t. V, pp. 85 i{. The various
mysteries which took place thereat are minutely described.

^ On the cutting of the hair as a sign of mourning, see W. Robertson
Smith, T/ie Religmi of the Setnites, p. 395 ; and for other beliefs about the
hair see Tylor, Primitive Culture, Vol. II, p. 364, and Fra/.er, Golden
Bough, pp. 193-208.

The Murder of Osiris 55

laid by the waves among the branches of a tamarisk tree
(ipeiKrj TLul), which in a very short time had grown to a
maofnificent size and had enclosed the chest within its trunk.
The king of the country, admiring the tree, cut it down and
made a pillar for the roof of his house of that part which
contained the body of Osiris. When I sis heard of this she
went to Byblos, and, gaining admittance to the palace
through the report of the royal maidens, she was made
nurse to one of the king's sons. Instead of nursing the
child in the ordinary way, I sis gave him her finger to suck,
and each night she put him into the fire to consume his
mortal parts, changing herself the while into a swallow and
bemoaning her fate. But the queen once happened to see
her son in fiames, and cried out, and thus deprived him of
immortality. Then I sis told the queen her story, and
begged for the pillar which supported the roof This she
cut open, and took out the chest and her husband's body,^
and her lamentations were so terrible that one of the royal
children died of fright. She then brought the chest by ship
to Egypt, where she opened it and embraced the body of
her husband, weeping bitterly. Then she sought her son
Horus in Buto, in Lower Egypt, first having hidden the
chest in a secret place. But Typhon, one night hunting
by the light of the moon, found the chest, and, recognizing
the body, tore it into fourteen pieces, which he scattered up
and down throughout the land. When I sis heard of this
she took a boat made of papyrus- — a plant abhorred by
crocodiles — and sailing about she collected the fragments
of Osiris's body.'^ Wherever she found one, there she

^ The story continues that Isis then wrapped the pillar in fine linen and
anointed it with oil, and restored it to the queen. Plutarch adds that the
piece of wood is, to this day, preserved in the temple of Isis, and worshipped
by the people of Byblos. Prof. Robertson Smith suggests {Religion of the
Semites^ p. 175) that the rite of draping and anointing a sacred stump
supplies the answer to the unsolved question of the nature of the ritual
practices connected with the Ashera. That some sort of drapery belonged
to the Ashera is clear from 2 Kings xxiii, 7. See also Tylor, Primitive
Culture, Vol. II, p. 150; and Frazer, Golden Bough,\o\. I, pp. 304 ff.; see
also Mr. Frazer's latest work on the Osiris legends, Adonis, Aitis, and
Osiris, London, 1907.

2 The ark of " bulrushes " was, no doubt, intended to preserve the child
Moses from crocodiles.

Moi'ov Sc Twv yu.epoJi; tov OcrtptSo? ttjv ^Icrtv ov^^ evpctc to alootov €vOv^
yap €is Tov TTOTafxov f)ic}>rjvai, Koi yivcratrOai t6u T€ ActtiSwtov avTov kol tov

56 The Papyrus of Ani

built a tomb. But now Horus had grown up, and being
encouraged to the use of arms by Osiris, who returned
from the Other World, he went out to do battle with Typhon,
the murderer of his father. The fight lasted many days,
and Typhon was made captive. But I sis, to whom the
care of the prisoner was given, so far from aiding her son
Horus, set Typhon at liberty. Horus in his rage tore from
her head the royal diadem ; but Thoth gave her a helmet
in the shape of a cow's head. In two other battles fought
between Horus and Typhon, Horus was the victor.^

This is the story of the sufferings and death of Osiris as
told by Plutarch. Osiris was the God-man through whose
sufferings and death the Egyptian hoped that he might
rise again in a glorified Spirit-body, and to him who had
conquered death and had become the king of the Other
World the Egyptian appealed in prayer for eternal life
through his victory and power. In every funeral inscription
known to us, from the Pyramid Texts down to the roughly-
written prayers upon coffins of the Roman period, what is
done for Osiris is done also for the deceased, the state
and condition of Osiris are the state and condition of the
deceased ; in a word the deceased is identified with Osiris.
If Osiris liveth for ever, the deceased will live for ever ; if
Osiris dieth, then will the deceased perish.

The oldest of the sources of our information about

<j>dypov Koi Tov o^vpvyxov. k.t.X. By the festival celebrated by the Egyptians
in honour of Osiris, we are probably to understand the public performance

of the ceremony of "setting up the Tet in Tetu " — m — - f ^ A u | /

§n ©, which we know took place on the last day of the month

Ji (^ ^ .

Choiak ; see Loret, Les Fetes d' Osiris au mois de Khoiak {Recueil de
Travaux, t. IV, p. 32, § 87) ; Plutarch, De Iside, % XVIII.

1 An account of the battle is also given in the IVth Sallier Papyrus,
wherein we are told that it took place on the 26th day of the month 'J'hoth.
Horus and Set fought in the form of two men, but they afterwards changed
themselves into two bears, and they passed three days and three nights in
this form. Victory inclined now to one side, and now to the other, and the
heart of Isis suffered bitterly. When Horus saw that she loosed the fetters
which he had laid upon Set, he became like a " raging panther of the south
with fury," and she fled before him ; but he pursued her, and cut off her
head, which Thoth transformed by his words of magical power and set
upon her body again in the form of that of a cow. In the calendars the
26th day of Thoth was marked triply deadly Q^Q^Q^!!- ^ee Chabas,
Le Calendrier, pp. 28 ff.

The Lamentations of I sis 57

Osiris is the Pyramid Texts, and a careful examination of
these proves that nearly all the statements made by classical
writers about the murder and mutilation of Osiris are
substantially correct. All the important passages in the
Pyramid Texts which illustrate the Legend of Osiris are
given with English renderings in my Osiris and the
Egyptian Resurrection, London, 191 1, and it is therefore
unnecessary to repeat them here.

In the XVII Ith, or early in the XlXth dynasty,
we find Osiris called "the king of eternity, the lord of
" everlastingness, who traverseth millions of years in the
" duration of his life, the firstborn son of the womb of Nut,
" begotten of Keb, the prince of gods and men, the god of
** gods, the king of kings, the lord of lords, the prince of
" princes, the governor of the world, from the womb of
" Nut, whose existence is for everlasting,^ Unnefer of many
" forms and of many attributes, Temu in Anu, the lord of
" Akert,^ the only one, the lord of the land on each side
" of the celestial Nile."^

In the XXV Ith dynasty and later there grew up a class
of literature represented by such works as " The Book of
Breathings,"'^ " The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys,"^
" The Festival Songs of Isis and Nephthys,"^ " The

1 For the text see the Papyrus of Ani, Plate II, and Plate XXXVI, 1. 2.

2 I.e., the Underworld.

^37 P=^ neb dtebui ; see Ani, Plate XIX, 1. 9.

4 cEzi nn — H »— O -r^.^ I , , , . ,

M W <=>^ /vw/vs ) ) I . A text of this work, tran-

scribed into hieroglyphs, was published, with a Latin translation, by
Brugsch, under the title, Sai ati Sinsin sive liber Metempsychosis veterum
Aegyptiorum, Berlin, 1851 ; and an English translation of the same work,
but made from a Paris MS., was given by P. J. de Horrack in Records of
the Past, I St series. Vol. IV, pp. 121 ff. See also Birch, Facsimiles of Two
Papyri, London, 1863, p. 3 ; Deveria, Catalogue des MSS. Egyptiens,
Paris, 1874, pp. 130 ff., where several copies of this work are described.
Another version of the text from a papyrus in the British Museum (Papyrus
of Kerasher, No. 9995) was published, with a hieroglyphic transcript and
translation, by me in Facsimiles of the Papyri of Hunefer, etc., and see
Pellegrini, II libro secondo delta respirazione, Rome, 1904.

^ The hieratic text of this work was published with a French translation
by P. J. de Horrack, les lamentations d'Isis et de Nephthys, Paris, 1886.

^ A hieroglyphic transcript of these works, with an English translation,
was given by me in Archceologia, Vol. LII, London, 1891. For the hieratic
texts see Budge, Hieratic Papyri in the British Museum, London, 1910,

The Papyrus of Ani

Litanies of Seker,"^ "The Book of Traversing Eternity,"^
and the like, the hymns and prayers of which are addressed
to Osiris rather as the god of the dead and type of the
resurrection than as the successor of the great cosmic god
Temu-Ra. He is called " the soul that liveth again," ^ " the
being who becometh a child again,"* " the firstborn son of
" the primeval god, the lord of multitudes of aspects and
" forms, the lord of time and bestower of years, the lord of
" life for all eternity."^ He is the " giver of life from the
beginning,"*^ life "springs up to us from his destruction,"^
and the germ which proceeds from him engenders life in
both the dead and the living.^

1 What Deveria says with reference to the Book of Respirations applies
to the whole class : "Toutefois, on remarque dans cet ecrit une tendance a
" la doctrine de la resurrection du corps plus marquee que dans les com-
" positions anterieures " {Catalogue, p. 13).

2 See Bergmann, Das Buck voffi Dnrchzvandeln der Ewigkeif, Vienna,
1877 ; an English rendering of it will be found in my Chapters of Coming
Forth by Day, 2nd ed., Vol. Ill, p. 678.

, Festival Songs,lY, 2^.

Ibid., VIII, 21; IX, 8.

^ Litanies of Seker, Col. XVIII

6 ^ Q 0 ""^ §s g^

AAAA/VA III 1 C

8 ^

Festival Songs, VI, i.

^^. Ibid, III, 18.

k^^o

AAAAAA

1 I^

Q:£l © III

Ibid., IX, 26.

lTli-1-PfI

Hymn to Osiris 59

APPENDIX
I.— HYMN TO OSIRIS 1

" Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of eternity, King of the
' Gods, whose names are manifold, whose forms are holy,
' thou being- of hidden form In the temples, whose Ka is
' holy. Thou art the governor of Tattu (Busiris), and also
' the mighty one in Sekhem (Letopolis). Thou art the
' Lord to whom praises are ascribed in the nome of Ati,
' thou art the Prince of divine food in Anu. Thou art the
' Lord who is commemorated in Maati, the Hidden Soul,
' the Lord of Qerrt (Elephantine), the Ruler supreme in
' White Wall (Memphis). Thou art the Soul of Ra, his
* own body, and hast thy place of rest in Henensu (Herakle-
' opolis). Thou art the beneficent one, and art praised in
' Nart. Thou makest thy soul to be raised up. Thou art
' the Lord of the Great House in Khemenu (Hermopolis).
' Thou art the mighty one of victories in Shas-hetep, the
' Lord of eternity, the Governor of Abydos. The path
' of his throne is in Ta-tcheser {i.e., a part of Abydos).
' Thy name is established in the mouths of men. Thou
' art the substance of the Two Lands (Egypt). Thou art
' Tem, the feeder of the Kau (Doubles), the Governor of
' the Companies of the gods. Thou art the beneficent
' Spirit among the spirits. The god of the Celestial Ocean
' (Nu) draweth from thee his waters. Thou sendest forth
' the north wind at eventide, and breath from thy nostrils
' to the satisfaction of thy heart. Thy heart reneweth its
' youth, thou producest the .... The stars in the celestial
' heights are obedient unto thee, and the great doors of the
' sky open themselves before thee. Thou art he to whom
' praises are ascribed In the southern heaven, and thanks
' are given for thee In the northern heaven. The imperlsh-
' able stars are under thy supervision, and the stars which

^ For the hieroglyphic text see Ledrain, Les Monuments Egyptiens de la
Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, 1879, Plates XXI-XXVII. A French
rendering was given by Chabas in Revue Arch., Paris, 1857, t. XIV, pp. 65 if.,
and an English rendering m. Records of the Past, ist series. Vol. IV, pp. gg f.
See also Budge, First Steps, pp. i7g-i88, and Budge, Osiris and the
Egyptian Resurrectiofi, Vol. II, p. 75.

6o The Papyrus of Ani

never set are thy thrones. Offerings appear before thee
at the decree of Keb, The Companies of the Gods praise
thee, and the gods of the Tuat (Other World) smell the
earth in paying homage to thee. The uttermost parts of
the earth bow before thee, and the limits of the skies
entreat thee with supplications when they see thee. The
holy ones are overcome before thee, and all Egypt offereth
thanksgiving unto thee when it meeteth Thy Majesty.
Thou art a shining Spirit-body, the Governor of Spirit-
bodies ; permanent is thy rank, established is thy rule.
Thou art the well-doing Sekhem (Power) of the Company
of the Gods, gracious is thy face, and beloved by him that
seeth it. Thy fear is set in all the lands by reason of thy
perfect love, and they cry out to thy name making it the
first of names, and all people make offerings to thee.
Thou art the lord who art commemorated in heaven and
upon earth. Many are the cries which are made to thee
at the Uak^ festival, and with one heart and voice Egypt
raiseth cries of joy to thee.

" Thou art the Great Chief, the first among thy brethren,
the Prince of the Company of the Gods, the stablisher of
Right and Truth throughout the World, the Son who
was set on the great throne of his father Keb. Thou art
the beloved of thy mother Nut, the mighty one of valour,
who overthrew the Sebau-fiend. Thou didst stand up
and smite thine enemy, and set thy fear in thine adversary.
Thou dost bring the boundaries of the mountains {?).
Thy heart is fixed (or, determined), thy legs are set firm.
Thou art the heir of Keb and of the sovereignty of the
Two Lands (Egypt). He (Keb) hath seen his splendours,
he hath decreed for him the guidance of the world by thy
hand as long as times endure. Thou hast made this
earth with thy hand, and the waters, and the winds, and
the vegetation, and all the cattle, and all the feathered
fowl, and all the fish, and all the creeping things, and all
the wild animals thereof The desert is the lawful posses-
sion of the son of Nut. The Two Lands (Egypt) are
content to crown thee upon the throne of thy father,
like Ra.

^ This festival took place on the 17th and i8th days of the month
Thoth ; see Brugsch, Kalendarische Jnschri/ten, p. 235.

Hymn to Osiris 6i

*' Thou rollest up into the horizon, thou hast set Vight
over the darkness, thou sendest forth air (or, Hght) from
thy plumes, and thou floodest the Two Lands Hke the
Disk at daybreak. Thy crown penetrateth the height of
heaven, thou art the companion of the stars, and the
guide of every god. Thou art beneficent in decree and
speech, the favoured one of the Great Company of the
Gods, and the beloved of the Little Company of the Gods.

" His sister [Isis] hath protected him, and hath repulsed
the fiends, and turned aside calamities (or, times [of evil]).
She uttered the spell with the magical power of her
mouth. Her tongue was perfect (or, well-trained), and it
never halted at a word. Beneficent in command and
word was Isis, the woman of magical spells, the advocate
of her brother. She sought him untiringly, she wandered
round and round about this earth in sorrow, and she
alighted^ not without finding him. She made light (or,
air) with her feathers, she created air with her wings, and
she uttered the death wail for her brother. She raised
up the inactive members of him whose heart was still,
she drew from him his essence, she made an heir,^ she
reared the child in loneliness, and the place where he was
was not known, and he grew in strength and stature,
and his hand was mighty in the House of Keb. The
Company of the Gods rejoiced, rejoiced, at the coming
of Horus, the son of Osiris, whose heart was firm, the
triumphant, the son of Isis, the heir of Osiris."^

Literally, "she alighted not," ,JU. ^^-^ 5 the whole passage

here justifies Plutarch's statement (Z^^ /side et Osiride, i6) concerning Isis :
AvTrjv 8e ytvojxivr)V ^eA.tSoi'a ttj kiovi TreptTreTea^at koX Oprjveiv.

^ Compare Plutarch, op. cit., § 19: T^i/ 8' 'lo-tv jxtTo. tyjv reXexrrriv i$
Ocr6/Di8os crvyyevo/xevov, T€K€lv •j^A.i'to/u.tji/oi/ koi daOevT] rots KaTojOev yvCois tov

'ApTTOKpOLTrjV.

2 The remainder of the hymn refers to Horus.

The Papyrus of Ani

II.— OSIRIS AND HIS PRINCIPAL FORMS
UNDER THE XVIIIth DYNASTY

1. Unn-Nefer

2. Osiris Ankhti

3. Osiris, Lord of Life

4. Osiris Nebertcher

5. Osiris Khenti

6. Osiris Orion (Sah)

7. Osiris Saa

8. Osiris, Governor of

Temples

9. Osiris in Resnet

10. Osiris in Mehnet

11. Osiris Everlasting Gold

12. Osiris Bati-erpit

13. Osiris Ptah-neb-Ankh

14. Osiris, Governor of
Rasta

15. Osiris, Dweller in Set(?)

Li^M^i

Lm7:Mi

-<2>-

r^-^"^

1 6.

17-
i8.

19.

20.

21.

Forms and Towns of Osiris
Osiris in Ati

Osiris in Sehtet
Osiris in Netchfet
Osiris in Resu
Osiris in Pe
Osiris in Netru

22. Osiris in Lower Sais

23-

24.

25-

26.

27.

28.
29.

30.

31-

-<S>-

U^M

-cs^

Osiris in Bakt
Osiris in Sunnu
Osiris in Rehnent
Osiris in Aper
Osiris in Qeftenu
Osiris Sekri in Pet-she

Osjris. Governor of his ^^^

Osiris in Pesk-ra

Osiris in his Shrines in
the Land of the North

o ^:^®

0%.

ilg^^k^

■ 1 3s:

-<2>

i I

- I

c>c:><

32. Osiris in Heaven

64 The Papyrus of Ani

2,S- Osiris in his Shrines in .<s>- vl _M^J] cr=i ^^ i U
Rasta

_i 111 \> [^^^
34. Osiris Netchesti

/VvAAAA lO:,

.<2>- ill ir^ w

35. Osiris Tesur X 5^ \ S ^

36. Osiris Sekri [1 J ^ \\

37. Osiris, Governor of li ^ ? "^

Eternity J>- ^ I ^

38. Osiris the Begetter X ^i ^ ^ '^ ''^^

39. Osiris in Ater XiU^i

40. Osiris with the Plumes(?) X 5^ ^ fl | ^=^ [|1

41. Osiris, Lord of Eternity i Jj

42. Osiris King (Ati) _J^ J (]

43. Osiris Taiti XJdI^^^:??

45. Osiris on his Sand ll .^

44. Osiris in Rasta

<2>- lU I J W

46. Osiris, Governor of the ri ^ ill '^"^ fl 8 ffT^ t^ Y

Chamber of the Cows X S?I HIiI ^ w |' ^ | f] ^ |

47. Osiris in Tanent X^k^iU^

48. Osiris in Netbit X^kZJ^^:

49- Osiris

50. Osiris

51. Osiris

52. Osiris

53. Osiris

54. Osiris

55. Osiris

56. Osiris

57. Osiris

58. Osiris

59. Osiris

60. Osiris

n Upper Sau

n Nepert
n Shennu
n Henket
n Ta-Sekri
n Shau
n Fat-Heru
n Maati
n Hena

Forms and Towns of Osiris

nBetshu X I k J S ^ <^

"Tepu XI kT^^

-<2>-

Q D

s <z:=>®

^„

VOL. I.

66 The Papyrus of Ani

THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL LIFE

The ideas and beliefs which the Egyptians held in
reference to a future existence are not easily to be
described in detail, owing to the many difficulties in trans-
lating religious texts and in harmonizing the statements
made in different works of different periods. Some confu-
sion of details also seems to have existed in the minds of
the Egyptians themselves, which cannot be cleared up
until the literature of the subject has been further studied
and until more texts have been published. That the
Egyptians believed in a future life is certain ; and the
doctrine of eternal existence is the leading feature of their
religion, and is enunciated with the utmost clearness in all
periods. And it is quite certain that the belief in immor-
tality among the Egyptians is one of the oldest of their
religious beliefs. The attainment of a renewal of life in
the Other World was the aim and object of every Egyptian
believer. To this end all the religious literature of Egypt
was composed. Let us take the following extracts from
texts of the Vlth dynasty as illustrations : —

Hail Unas, not hast thou gone, behold, [as] one dead,

thou hast gone [as] one hving to sit upon the throne of Osiris.^

O Ra-Tum, cometh to thee thy son, cometh to thee Unas

thy son is this of thy body for ever.-

1 Recueil de Travaux^ t. Ill, p. 20 1 (1. 206). The context runs "Thy

" Sceptre () is in thy hand, and thou givest commands unto the Hving ones.

" The Mekes and Nehbet sceptres are in thy hand, and thou givest com-
" mands unto those whose abodes are secret."

2 Ibid., t. Ill, p. 208 (11. 232, 233).

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 67

O Turn, thy son is this Osiris ; thou hast given his sustenance

and he liveth ; he liveth, and liveth Unas this ; not dieth he, not

dieth Unas this.^

4. :^ [sy] k f

Setteth Unas in life in Amenta.^

He^ hath eaten the knowledge of god every, [his] existence

eternity, his limit everlastingness in his 5^/^^ this; what

he willeth he doeth, [what] he hateth not doth he do/'

0 0 —

^- T © T ^

Live life, not shalt thou die.^

In the Papyrus of Ani (Chapter CLXXV) the deceased
is represented as having come to a place remote and far
away, where there is neither air to breathe nor water to
drink, but where he holds converse with Temu. In answer
to his question, "How long have I to live?'"^ the great
god of Anu answers : —

1 Recueil de Travaux, t. Ill, p. 209 (1. 240).

2 Ibid., t. IV, p. 50 (1. 445). The allusion here is to the setting of the
sun.

3 I.e., Unas.

■* I.e., his Spirit-body.

5 Ibtd., t. IV, p. 61 (11. 520, 521).

6 Ibid., t. V, p. 170 (Pepi, 1. 85).

0 ^ ^ ^ □ ^ I ' — ^ T- ^ • Plate XXIX, 1. 16. (Book of

1 — H— 2i Jl i O I _m^ 1 ®
the Dead, Chapter CLXXV.)

F 2

The Papyrus of Ani

Thou shalt exist
millions of years.

for

III

millions

III i O I

of millions of years, a period

In the LXXXIVth Chapter, as given in the same
papyrus, the infinite duration of the past and future exis-
tence of the soul, as well as its divine nature, is proclaimed
by Ani in the words : —

of divine company. My soul

I am Shu
my soul

God

is eternity.

When the deceased identifies himself with Shu, he
makes the period of his existence coeval with that of
Temu-Ra, i.e., he existed before Osiris and the other gods
of his company. These two passages prove the identity of
the belief in eternal life in the XVIIIth dynasty with that
in the Vth and Vlth dynasties.

But while we have this evidence of the Egyptian belief
in eternal life, we are nowhere told that man's corruptible
body will rise again ; indeed, the following extracts show
that the idea prevailed that the body lay in the earth while
the soul or spirit lived in heaven : —

D ^

Soul to heaven body

to earth.2 (Vth dynasty.)

2, /SAAAAA

D ^

Thy essence is in heaven, thy body
o Al /I\

to earth.^ (Vlth dynasty.)
I

Heaven hath thy soul, earth hath thy body.'' (Ptolemaic Period.)

Plate XXVIII, 1. 15.

Reciieil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 71 (1. 582).

Ibid., t. V, p. 45 (1. 304).

Horrack, Lamentations d'/sis et de Nephthys, Paris, 1 866, p. 6.

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 69

There is, however, no doubt that from first to last the
Egyptians firmly believed that besides the soul there was
some other element of the man that would rise again.
The preservation of the corruptible body, too, was in some
way connected with the life in the world to come, and its
existence was necessary to ensure eternal life ; otherwise
the prayers recited to this end would have been futile, and
the time-honoured custom of mummifying the dead would
have had no meanings. The never-ending- existence of the
soul is asserted in a passage quoted above without reference
to Osiris ; but the frequent mention of the uniting of his
bones, and of the gathering together of his members,^ and
the doing away with all corruption from his body, seems to
show that the pious Egyptian connected these things with
the resurrection of his own body in some form, and he
argued that what had been done for him who was pro-
claimed to be giver and source of life must be necessary for
mortal man.

The physical body of man considered as a whole was

called khat ^\ ^. p, ^^ , a word which seems to be con-
nected with the idea of something which is liable to decay.
The word is also applied to the mummified body in the
tomb, as we know from the words "My body {kkat) is
buried."^ Such a body was attributed to the god Osiris ;^
in the CLXIInd Chapter of the Book of the Dead "his
great divine body rested in Anu."* In this respect the
god and the deceased were on an equality. As we have
seen above, the body neither leaves the tomb nor reappears
on earth ; yet its preservation was necessary. Thus the

Already in the Pyramid Texts we have Tl §=5 V\ ( ^ 1] ]

AAAAA'V

^^^ ^ — * "Rise up, O thou Teta ! Thou hast received thy head,

thou hast knitted together thy bones, thou hast collected thy members."
Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 40 (1. 287).

'^^S^i^S-^ Book of the Dead.

Chapter LXXXVI, 1. 11.

3 Papyrus of Afii, Plate VII, 1. 28, and Plate XIX, 1. 8.

70 The Papyrus of Ani

deceased addresses Temu ^ : " Hail to thee, O my father
" Osiris, I have come and I have embalmed this my flesh
" so that my body may not decay. I am whole, even as
" my father Khepera was whole, who is to me the type of
" that which passeth not away, Come then, O Form, and
" give breath unto me, O lord of breath, O thou who art
" orreater than thy compeers. Stablish thou me, and form
" thou me, O thou who art lord of the grave. Grant thou
"to me to endure for ever, even as thou didst grant unto
" thy father Temu to endure ; and his body neither passed
" away nor decayed. I have not done that which is hateful
" unto thee, nay, I have spoken that which thy Ka loveth ;
" repulse thou me not, and cast thou me not behind thee,
" O Temu, to decay, even as thou doest unto every god and
" unto every goddess and unto every beast and creeping
" thing which perisheth when his soul hath gone forth from
" him after his death, and which falleth in pieces after his

" decay Homage to thee, O my father Osiris, thy

'* flesh suffered no decay, there were no worms in thee,
" thou didst not crumble away, thou didst not wither away,
" thou didst not become corruption and worms ; and I
" myself am Khepera, I shall possess my flesh for ever and
" ever, I shall not decay, I shall not crumble away, I shall
" not wither away, I shall not become corruption."

But the body does not lie in the tomb inoperative, for
by the prayers and ceremonies on the day of burial it is
endowed with the power of changing into a saJuc, or spiritual
body. Thus we have such phrases as, " "I flourish (literally,
" 'sprout') like the plants,"^ " My flesh flourisheth,"^^ " I
" exist, I exist, I live, I live, I flourish, I flourish,"-^ '' thy

1 This Chapter is inscribed upon one of the linen wrappings of the
mummy of Thothmes III, and a copy of the text is given by Naville
{Todtenlmch, Bd. I, Bh 179); for a later version see Lepsius, Todtenbuch^
BI. 75, where many interesting variants occur.

" .^=S^^ ^ ^ _^^^r Chapter LXXXIII, 3.

I . Chapter LXIV, 1. 49.

Chapter CUV, 1. 12.

The Doctrine of Eternal Life

" soul liveth, thy body ^j] flourisheth by the command of

" Ra himself without diminution, and without defect, like

It
" unto Ra for ever and ever."^ The word sdhu

I V 8 ^^ ' 'though at times written with the determinative

of a mummy lying on a bier like khat, " body," indicates a
Spirit-body which is lasting and incorruptible. The body
which has become a sdhu has the power of associating with
the soul and of holding converse with it. In this form it
can ascend into heaven and dwell with the gods, and with
the sdhtt of the gods, and with the souls of the righteous.
In the Pyramid Texts we have these passages : —

Rise up thou Teta this. Stand up thou mighty one

AW l^i- 1- m \

being strong. Sit thou with the gods, do thou that which

did Osiris in the great house in Anu. Thou hast received

PT3

thy sah, not shall be fettered thy foot in heaven, not

shalt thou be turned back upon earth. ^

T ® Q '-i

^AAAAA 0 , 1)

(1 O XI fi O 0- Brugsch, Liber Metem-

psychosis, p. 22.

2 Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 36 (1. 271). From 1. 143 of the same
text it would seem that a man had more than one sdhu, for the words

"all thy sahu," J[_^ | [1 ^\[ ° I """^^ ^^=^ ^ '

may, however, be only a plural of majesty.

occur.

This

AAA/VV\

72 The Papyrus of Ani

Hail to thee, Teta on this thy day [when] thou art
standing before Ra [as] he cometh from the east, [when] thou art
endued with this thy sd/i among the souls.^

[His] duration of Hfe is eternity, his limit of life is everlastingness

in his sdA.^

4-^i i:isk^--

I am a sak with his soul.'

In the late Recension of the Boo]<:of the Dead published
by Lepsius the deceased is said to "look upon his body and to
rest upon his saAu,'"^ and souls are said " to enter into their
sa/iti " ; ^ and a passage extant both in this and the older
Theban Recension makes the deceased to receive the sd/iu of
the god Osiris.^ But that Egyptian writers at times con-
fused the Ma^ with the sdA?/- is clear from a passage in the
Book of Respirations, where it is said : " Hail, Osiris, thy
name endureth, thy body is stablished, thy sd/i?t flourisheth'V

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 59 (1. 384).

2 Ibid., t. IV, p. 61 (1. 521).

3 Book of the Dead, Chapter LXXVHI, 1. 14.

Chapter LXXXIX, 1. 6.
5 Ibid., 1. 5.

' ^ \^ "^-^ ^^ I 9 ' ^^- Chapter CXXX, 1. 38 (ed. Naville).
See Brugsch, liber Metempsychosis, p. 15.

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 73

in other texts the word ''flourish" is appHed only to the
natural body.

In close connection with the natural and spiritual bodies
stood the heart, or rather that part of it which was the seat
of the power of life and the fountain of good and evil
thoughts. And in addition to the Natural-body and Spirit-
body, man also had an abstract individuality or personality
endowed with all his characteristic attributes. This abstract
personality had an absolutely independent existence. It
could move freely from place to place, separating itself from,
or uniting itself to, the body at will, and also enjoying life

with the gods in heaven. This was the Ka ^^ a word

which at times conveys the meanings of its Coptic equivalent

^ The general meaning of the word Ka was first discovered by Nestor
L'Hote, and his discovery was published in his Lettres in 1840. The first

Egyptologist who seriously examined the meaning of the word LJ was
Dr. Birch, who collected several examples of the word and discussed them in his
Memoire sur line Patere Egvptiovte du Musee du Louvre, V^lxxs, 1858, pp. 59 ff.
(Extrait du t. XXIV des Memoires de la Societe imperiale des Antiquaires de
France). Dr. Birch translated the word by etre, personne, embleme, divin,
genie, principe, esprit. In September, 1878, M. Maspero explained to the
Members of the Congress of Lyons the views which he held concerning
this word, and which he had for the past five years been teaching in the
College de France, and said " le ka est une sorte de double de la personne
" humaine d'une matiere moins grossiere que la matiere dont est forme le
" corps, mais qu'il fallait nourrir et entretenir comme le corps lui-meme ; ce
" double vivait dans le tombeau des offrandes qu'on faisait aux fetes
" canoniques, et aujourd'hui encore un grand nombre des genies de la
" tradition populaire egyptienne ne sont que des doubles, devenus demons au
" moment de la conversion des fellahs au christianisme, puis a Tislamisme."
These views were repeated by him at the Sorbonne in February, 1879. See
Comptes Rendus du Congres provincial des Orientalistes, Lyons, 1878, t. I,
pp. 235-263 ; Revue Scientifique de la France et de VEtranger, 2® serie,
8^ annee, No. 35, March, 1879, pp. 816-820; Bulletin de P Association
Scientifique de France, No. 594, 1879, t. XXIII, p. 373-384 ; Maspero,
Etudes de Mythologie et d'Archeologie, t. I, pp. i, 35, 126. In March, 1879,
Mr. Renouf read a paper entitled " On the true sense of an important
Egyptian word" {Trans. Soc. Bibl. Arch., Vol. VI, London, 1879,
pp. 494-50S), in which he arrived at conclusions similar to those of
M. Maspero ; and in September of the same year M. Maspero again
treated the subject in Recueil de Travaux, t. I, pp. 152 f. The various
shades of meaning in the word have been discussed subsequently by Brugsch,
Worterbuch (Suppl.), pp. 997, 1230 ; Diimichen, Der Grahpalast des
Patuarnenap, Abt. I, p. 10; Bergmann, Der Sarkophag des Panehemisis {\n
Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sainnihingen des allerhochsten Kaiserhauses,
Vienna, 1883, p. 5) ; Wiedemann, Die Religion der alien Aegypter, p. 126.

74 The Papyrus of Ani

KOJ, and of etScuXoi^, image, genius, double, character, dis-
position, and mental attributes. What the Ka really was
has not yet been decided, and Egyptologists have not yet
come to an agreement in their views on the subject.
Mr. Griffith thinks i^Hieroglyphs, p. 15) that "it was from
" one point of view regarded as the source of muscular
" movement and power, as opposed to ' ba,' the will or soul
" which set it in motion." This view is substantially that of
Erman {^Religion, p. 102). Dr. Steindorff [A.Z., iQio,
pp. 152 ff.) thinks that the Ka was a genius, and not a
" double." His views are traversed by Maspero in his
paper Le Ka des Iigyptiens, est-il un gdnie ou un double

{Zeitschinft fiir Kunst des Alien Orients, Bd. VI,

pp. 125 ff.) who thinks that his own views on the subject are
rather strengthened than weakened by Dr. Steindorft's argu-
ments. Mr. Breasted {JDevelopment, p. 52) thinks that the
Ka was a " superior genius intended to guide the fortunes
of the individual in the hereafter^ The relation of the Ka
to the funerary offerings has been ably discussed by Baron
Fr. W. V. Bissing ( Ver stick einer netieji Erkldrung des
Kdi der alten Aegypter in the Sitztmgsberichtc dcr Kgl.
Bayer. Akad., Munich, 191 1), and it seems as if the true
solution of the mystery may be found by working on the
lines of his idea, which was published in the Rccueil, 1903,
p. 182, and by comparing the views about the "double"
held by African peoples throughout the Sudan. The
funeral offerings of meat, cakes, ale, wine, unguents, etc.,
were intended for the Ka ; the scent of the burnt incense
was grateful to it. The Ka dwelt in the man's statue just
as the Ka of a god inhabited the statue of the god. In the
remotest times the tombs had special chambers wherein
the Ka was worshipped and received offerings. The priest-
hood numbered among its body an order of men who bore

the name of " priests of the Ka " y i , and who performed
services in honour of the Ka in the " Ka chapel " J ^.

In the text of Unas the deceased is said to be " happy
with his Ka" ^ in the next world, and his Ka is joined unto

1 1 ^^^ — rsToi \ — Lj 1,7

The Doctrine of Eternal Life

his body in " the great dwelHng " ; ^ his body having been
buried in the lowest chamber, "his Ka cometh forth to
him."^ Of Pepi I it is said : —

Washed is thy Ka, sitteth thy Ka [and] it eateth bread

^ , — '^— %^ ^-==^ ^ ^

^ ^ -^ AAAA/V\ ]1 '='1

with thee unceasingly for ever.^

hn^ Af^u

Thou art pure,

thy Ka is pure.

thy soul is pure.

i^rm

thy form is pure.*

The Ka, as we have seen, could eat food, and it was

necessary to provide food for it. In the Xllth dynasty

and in later periods the gods are entreated to grant meat

and drink to the Ka of the deceased ; and it seems as

if the Egyptians thought that the existence of the Ka

depended upon a constant supply of sepulchral offerings.

When circumstances rendered it impossible to continue the

material supply of food, the Ka fed upon the offerings

painted on the walls of the tomb, which were transformed

into suitable nourishment by means of the prayers of the

living. When there were neither material offerings nor

• • • 1

painted similitudes to feed upon, it seems as if the Ka

must have perished ; but the texts are not definite on this

point.

The following is a specimen of a petition for food for

the Ka written in the XVIIIth dynasty : —

" May the gods grant that 1 go into and come forth

LI f^.

,1.

■, 1. 483.

2 Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 166, 1. 67.
* Ibid., 1. 112.

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

mmmi mm

• LIBRARY •

76 The Papyrus of Ani

" from my tomb, may the Majesty refresh its shade, may I
" drink water from my cistern every day, may all my limbs
"grow, may Hapi give unto me bread and flowers of all
"kinds in their season, may I pass over my estate every
" day without ceasing, may my soul alight upon the branches
" of the groves which I have planted, may I make myself
" cool beneath my sycamores, may I eat the bread which
" they provide. May I have my mouth that I may speak
" therewith like the followers of Horus, may I come forth
" to heaven, may I descend to earth, may I never be shut
" out upon the road, may there never be done unto me that
" which my soul abhorreth, let not my soul be imprisoned,
" but may I be among the venerable and favoured ones,
" may I plough my lands in the Field of Aaru, may I
" arrive at the Field of Peace, may one come out to me
" with vessels of ale and cakes and bread of the lords of
" eternity, may I receive meat from the altars of the great,
" I the Ka of the prophet Menu."^

To that part of man which beyond all doubt was
believed to enjoy an eternal existence after the death of the

body, the Egyptians gave the name Ba c^ , a word which

has been thought to mean something like "sublime,"
"noble," and which has always hitherto been translated
by "soul," or "heart-soul." It was closely associated with
the Ka and the Ab, or heart, and it was one of the
principles of life in man. In form it is depicted as a

human-headed hawk T\ , and in nature and substance it

is stated to be exceedingly refined or ethereal. It revisited
the body in the tomb and re-animated it, and conversed
with it ; it could take upon itself any shape that it pleased ;
and it had the power of passing into heaven and of dwelling
with the perfected souls there. It was eternal. As the
Ba was closely associated with the Ka, it partook of the
funeral offerings, and in one aspect of its existence at least
it was liable to decay if not properly and sufficiently
nourished. In the Pyramid Texts the permanent dwelling-
place of the Ba or soul is heaven with the gods, whose life
it shares : —

1 See Trans. Soc. Bib/. Arch., Vol. VI, pp. 307, 308.

The Doctrine of Eternal Life

Behold Unas cometh forth on day this in the form

real of a soul living.^

Their soul- is in Unas/'^

Standeth thy soul among the gods.^

'■ra^CIEI^^ \

o I

k i^P

Hail, Pepi this ! cometh to thee the eye of Horus, it speaketh

w m

with thee. Cometh to thee thy soul which is among the gods."

-i.n

\\ m

Pure is thy soul among the gods.^

As liveth Osiris, and as liveth the soul in
D

\^ f

Netat, so liveth

Pepi this.'''

'•AP

(Ml ^ ^- innmmnmn

Its piaceth thy soul Pepi this among | '^^ ^'^^"-^^ l^^^l^ '^'^'' }

WW ^-

in the form of the uraei [which] are on thy brow.^

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 52 (1. 455).

^ I.e., the soul of the gods.

3 Ibid., t. IV, p. 61 (1. 522).

^ Ibid., t. V, p. 55 (1. 350), and see Pepi I, 11. 19, 20.

s Ibid., t. V, p. 160 (1. 13). '^ Ibid., t. V, p. 175 (1. 113).

7 Ibid., t. V, p. 183 (1. 166).

8 I.e., the Eye of Horus. ^ Ibid., t. V, p. 184 (1. 167).

The Papyrus of Ani

s-ra^CIEI^ V

C IP

Behold Pepi this, thy soul is the Souls of Anu ; behold thy soul

is the Souls of Nekhen ; behold thy soul is the Souls of Pe ; behold

thy soul is a star living, behold, among its brethren.^

In connection with the Ka and Ba must be mentioned
the Khaibit "f , or shadow of the man, which the Egyptians
reo-arded as a part of the human economy. It may be
compared with the a Kid and ttmbra of the Greeks and
Romans. It was supposed to have an entirely independent
existence and to be able to separate itself from the body ;
it was free to move wherever it pleased, and, like the Ka
and Ba, it partook of the funeral offerings in the tomb,
which it visited at will. The mention of the shade, whether
of a god or man, in the Pyramid Texts is unfrequent, and it
is not easy to ascertain what views were held concerning it ;
but from the passage in the text of Unas,^ where it is
mentioned together with the souls and spirits and bones of
the gods, it is evident that already at that early date its
position in relation to man was well defined. From the
collection of illustrations which Dr. Birch appended to his
paper On the Shade or Shadow of the Dead^ it is quite
clear that in later times at least the shadow was always
associated with the soul and was believed to be always near
it ; and this view is supported by a passage in the XCIInd
Chapter of the Book of the Dead, where it is said : —

O \\ £3
Let not be shut in

my soul.

let not be fettered

my shadow,

1 Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 184 (I. 168).

p. 62 (1. 523).

3 See Trails. Soc. Bibl. Arch., Vol. VIII, pp. 386-97.

The Doctrine of Eternal Life

£^

let be opened the way for my soul and for my shadow,

may it see

1 i

the great god.

And again, in the LXXXIXth Chapter the deceased
says : —

May I look upon my soul and my shadow.^

Another important and apparently eternal part of man
was the Kiiu, '^ , which, judging from the meaning of the
word, may be defined as a "shining" or translucent Spirit-
soul, For want of a better word Khu has often been
translated "shining one," "glorious," "intelligence," and
the like, but its true meaning must be Spirit-soul. The
Pyramid Texts show us that the Khu's of the gods lived in
heaven, and thither wended the Khu of a man as soon as
ever the body died. Thus it is said, " Unis standeth with
the Khu's,"- and one of the gods is asked to " give him his
sceptre among the Khu's " ; ^ when the souls of the gods
enter into Unas, their Khu's are with and round about him.'''
To Kino- Teta it is said : —

He ^ hath plucked his eye

^kP

from himself, he hath given it unto thee

to strengthen thee therewith, that thou mayest prevail with it among
the Khu's.*

^ Todtetilmch, Bd. I, Bl. loi.

(1. 71).

p. 215 (1. 274).

' %%% P

^ I.e., Horus.

Recueil de IVavaux, t. Ill, p. 188
[fill -^%%. Ibid., t. Ill,

C^.

[)pl. Ibid., t. IV, p. 61 (1. 522]

^ Ibid., t. V, p. 19 (1. 174).

8o The Papyrus of Ani

And again, when the god Khent-mennut-f has trans-
ported the king to heaven, the god Keb, who rejoices to
meet him, is said to give him both hands and welcome him
as a brother and to nurse him and to place him among the
imperishable Khu's.^ In the XCI Ind Chapter the deceased
is made to pray for the liberation of his soul, shadow, and
Khu from the bondage of the tomb, and for deliverance
from those " whose dwellings are hidden, who fetter the
" souls, who fetter souls and Khu's and who shut in the
" shadows of the dead " ; and in the XCIst Chapter is
a formula specially prepared to enable the Khu to pass from
the tomb to the domains where Ra and Hathor dwell.

Yet another part of a man was supposed to exist in
heaven, to which the Egyptians gave the name Sekhem,

n # ^\ 'y' • The word has been rendered by " vital power,"

and the like, but it is very difficult to find any expression
which will represent the Egyptian conception of the
Sekhem. It is mentioned in connection with the soul and
Khu, as will be seen from the following passages from the
Pyramid Texts : —

Cometh to thee thy Sekhem among the Kiiu's.-

Pure is thy Sekhem among the Khu's.^

Thou art pure, pure is thy Ka, pure is

thy soul, pure is thy Sekhem.*

de Travaux, t. V, p. 41 (1. 289).

2 Ibid., t. V, p. 160 (1. 14).

3 //;/^., t. V, p. 175(1. 113).

4 Ibid., t. V, p. 175 (1. 112).

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 8i

A name of Ra was ll y ® ^. ^^ ^ Sekhem Ur, the

"Great Sekhem," and Unas is identified with him and
called : —

Great Sekhem, Sekhem among the Sekhemu.^

Finally, the name, W^ , Ren, of a man was believed

to exist in heaven, and in the Pyramid Texts we are told
that

'"'^ (□1y .. _. Q n '^^=- T <^ (□

T ® l!

Happy is Pepi this with his name, Hveth Pepi this

with his Ka.3

Thus, as we have seen, the whole man consisted of
a natural body, a Spirit-body, a heart, a double, a Heart-soul,
a shadow, a Spirit-soul, and a name. All these were,
however, bound together inseparably, and the welfare of
any single one of them concerned the welfare of all. For
the well-being of the spiritual parts it was necessary to
preserve from decay the natural body ; and certain passages
in the Pyramid Texts seem to show that a belief in the
resurrection of the natural body existed in the earliest
dynasties.*

The texts are silent as to the time when the immortal
part began its beatified existence ; but it is probable that
the Osiris ^ of a man only attained to the full enjoyment of

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 44 (1. 393).

2 Ibid., p. 60 (11. 514, 515)- ' ^^id., t. V, p. 185 (1. 169).

' ^•^•' CHJ Li\lZln\^^" ™^ ^^P* ^"^^^^ ^^^^^
with his flesh." I/>td., t. V, p. 185 (1. 169).

5 The Osiris consisted of all the spiritual parts of a man gathered
together in a form which resembled him exactly. Whatever honour was
paid to the mummified body was received by its Osiris, the offerings made
to it were accepted by its Osiris, and the amulets laid upon it were made
use of by its Osiris for its own protection. The sd/iu, the Aa, the da, the
k/iu, the khaibit, the sekhem, and the ren were in primeval times separate
and independent parts of man's immortal nature ; but in the Pyramid Texts
VOL. I. G

82 The Papyrus of Ani

spiritual happiness after the funeral ceremonies had been
duly performed and the ritual recited, Comparativ^ely few-
particulars are known of the manner of life of the soul in
heaven, and though a number of interesting facts may be
gleaned from the texts of all periods, it is very difficult to
harmonize them. This result is due partly to the different
views held by different schools of thought in ancient Egypt,
and partly to the fact that on some points the Egyptians
themselves seem to have had no decided opinions. We
depend upon the Pyramid Texts for our knowledge of their
earliest conceptions of a future life.

The life of the Osiris of a man in heaven is at once
material and spiritual ; and it seems as if the Egyptians
never succeeded in breaking away from their very ancient
habit of confusing the things of the body with the things of
the soul. They believed in an incorporeal and immortal
part of man, the constituent elements of which flew to
heaven after death ; yet the theologians of the Vlth dynasty
had decided that there was some part of the deceased which
could only mount to heaven by means of a ladder. In the
pyramid of Teta it is said : " When Teta hath purified
" himself on the borders of this earth where Ra hath
" purified himself, he prayeth and setteth up the ladder, and
" those who dwell in the great place press Teta forward
" with their hands."^ In the pyramid of Pepi I the king is
identified with this ladder : " Isis saith, ' Happy are they
" who see the father,' and Nephthys saith, 'They who see
" the father have rest,' speaking unto the father of this
" Osiris Pepi when he cometh forth into heaven among the
** stars and among the luminaries which never set. VVith
" the uraeus on his brow, and his book upon both his sides,

they are welded together, and the dead king Pepi is addressed as " Osiris
Pepi." The custom of calling the deceased Osiris continued until the
Roman Period. On the Osiris of a man, see Wiedemann, Die Oiirianische
Unsterblichkeitslehre (in Die Religion der alteti Aegypter, p. 128).

/ I AAyvA/VA I 1 1 I Jt

-x^^im-^^^\.m\\

<::3> I /wwvA ^/w^ ( S (] ]• Maspero, Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 7

(1- 36). ' ~~

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 83

" and magic words at his feet, Pepi goeth forward unto his
" mother Nut, and he entereth therein in his name Ladder."^
The gods who preside over this ladder are at one time Ra
and Horus, and at another Horus and Set. In the pyramid
of Unas it is said : " Ra setteth upright the ladder for Osiris,
and Horus raiseth up the ladder for his father Osiris,
when Osiris goeth to [find] his soul ; one standeth on the
one side, and the other standeth on the other, and Unas
is betwixt them. Unas standeth up and is Horus, he
sitteth down and is Set."^ And in the pyramid of Pepi I
we read : " Hail to thee, O Ladder of God, hail to thee,
O Ladder of Set. Stand up, O Ladder of God, stand
up, O Ladder of Set, stand up, O Ladder of Horus,

whereon Osiris went forth into heaven This

Pepi is thy son, this Pepi is Horus, thou hast given birth
unto this Pepi even as thou hast given birth unto the god
who is the lord of the ladder. Thou hast given him the
Ladder of God, and thou hast given him the Ladder of

Set, whereon this Pepi hath gone forth into heaven

Every Khu and every god stretcheth out his hand unto
this Pepi when he cometh forth into heaven by the
Ladder of God .... that which he seeth and that which
he heareth make him wise, and serve as food for him
when he cometh forth into heaven by the Ladder of God.
Pepi riseth up like the uraeus which is on the brow of
Set, and every Khu and every god stretcheth out his
hand unto Pepi on the Ladder. Pepi hath gathered
together his bones, he hath collected his flesh, and Pepi
hath gone straightway into heaven by means of the two
finorers of the orod who is the Lord of the Ladder."^
Elsewhere we are told that Khensu and Set "carry the
Ladder of Pepi, and they set it up."

When the Osiris of a man has entered into heaven as
a living soul,* he is regarded as one of those who "have
eaten the eye of Horus " ; ^ he walks among the living ones,

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 190 (11. 181, 182).

2 Ibid., t. IV, p. 70 (11. 579 ff.).

^ Etudes de Mythologie et d" ArcMologie, t. I, p. 344, note i.

4 ^ (j ^^^^ % 3^ ^ fl ' V "^ ■?-• Recueil de Travaux, t. V,

p. 52 (1. 456).

•=9) AAA^yvA 1 ft/vvw\ <2>. w^^y^ v\ . /(^/^.;t. Ill, p. 165 (line 169).

G 2

84 The Papyrus of Ani

■¥■•¥■"¥" .^ he becomes " God, the son of God," ~ and all the

gods of heaven become his brethren,^ His bones are the
gods and goddesses of heaven ; * his right side belongs to
Horus, and his left side to Set ;^ the goddess Nut makes
him to rise up as a god without an enemy in his name
" God " ;^ and God calls him by his name.''' His face is the
face of Up-uat, his eyes are the great ones among the souls
of Anu, his nose is Thoth, his mouth is the great lake, his
tongue belongs to the boat of right and truth, his teeth are
the spirits of Unu, his chin is Khert-khent-Sekhem, his
backbone is Sema, his shoulders are Set, his breast is
Beba,^ etc. ; every one of his members is identified with
a god. Moreover, his body as a whole is identified with
the God of Heaven. For example it is said concerning
Unas : —

Thy body is the body of Unas this. The flesh is the flesh of

(ME 1. m-- m c^ip]

/v\AAA^

Unas this. Thy bones are the bones of Unas this.

-rr ( ^mi I ° -rr

Thy passage is the passage of Unas this. The passage of Unas

this is thy passage.^

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 183 (1. 166).

W\- See Pyramid of Teta {Recueil, t. V), 11. 45, 137, 197, 302.

Ibid., t IIT, p. 202 (1. 209).
5 Jbid., t. V, p. 23 (1. 198).

Ibid., t. V, p. 38 (1. 279).

7 Ibid., p. 26 (1. 222). 8 Ibid., t. VIII, p. 88 (11. 565 ff.).

» Ibid., t. Ill, p. 214 (1. 268).

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 85

Further, this identification of the deceased with the God
of Heaven places him in the position of supreme ruler.
For example, we have the prayer that Unas " may rule the
nine gods and complete the company of the nine gods,"^
and Pepi I, in his progress through heaven, comes upon
the double company of the gods, who stretch out their
hands, entreating him to come and sit down among them.^

Again, the deceased is changed into Horus, the son of
Osiris and Isis. It is said of Pepi I, " Behold it is not
" Pepi who entreateth to see thee in the form in which thou

" art M ^^ n v^ M (1 ^~^. O Osiris, who entreateth to see

" thee in the form in which thou art, O Osiris ; but it is thy
" son who entreateth to see thee in the form in which thou
" art, O Osiris, it is Horus who entreateth to see thee in
" the form in which thou art" ;^ and Horus does not place
Pepi at the head of the dead, but among the divine gods.*
Elsewhere we are told that Horus has taken his Eye and
given it to Pepi, and that the odour of Pepi's body is the
odour of the Eye of Horus. ^ Throughout the Pyramid
Texts the Osiris of the deceased is the son of Temu, or
Temu-Ra, Shu, Tefnut, Keb, and Nut, the brother of Isis,
Nephthys, Set, and Thoth, and the father of Horus ; ^ his
hands, arms, belly, back, hips and thighs, and legs are the
god Temu, and his face is Anubis.'^ He is the brother of the
moon,^ he is the child of the star Sothis,^ he revolves in

' A-ivKsg]^'.iii¥--nmmi-

Recueil de Travaux, t. Ill, p. 217 (1. 283).

'^k-iiimminmmT pxa

t. VII, p. 150 (1. 263).

3 Ibid., t. VII, p. 155 (11. 315 f.).

= Ih'd., t. VII, p. 169 (1. 457). ^ Ii>id., t. Ill, pp. 209-211.

'' Ibid., p. 201 (1. 207).

8 I (^gjjj °^ j_i] i ^ ^ ^'^'^•' ^- ^' P- '98 (1- 203).

9 Idid., t. IV, p. 44, 1. 390.

86 The Papyrus of Ani

heaven Hke Orion "^ and Sothis HA ° ^ ,^ and he rises

in his place Hke a star.- The gods, male and female, pay-
homage to him,^ every being in heaven adores him ; and in
one interesting passage it is said of Pepi I that " when he
" hath come forth into heaven he will find Ra standing face
" to face before him, and, having seated himself upon the
" shoulders of Ra, Ra will not let him put himself down
" again upon the ground ; for he knoweth that Pepi is more
" shining than the shining ones, more perfect than the

" perfect, and more stable than the stable ones

" When Pepi standeth upon the north of heaven with Ra,
" he becometh lord of the universe like unto the king of the
" gods.""^ To the deceased Horus gives his own Ka,^ and
also drives away the Ka's of the enemies of the deceased
from him, and hamstrings his foes/' By the divine power
thus given to the deceased he brings into subjection the
Ka's of the gods^ and other Ka's,^ and he lays his yoke
upon the Ka's of the triple company of the gods/ He also
becomes Thoth,^*^ the intelligence of the gods, and he judges
hearts ; ^^ and the hearts of those who would take away his
food and the breath from his nostrils become the prey of
his hands/^

1 Recueil de Travaux, t. Ill, p. 205 (11. 221 f.).

2 Ibid., t. IV, p. 44 (1. 390-

Ibid., t. V, p. 23 (1. 197).

4 Ibid., t. V, p. 171 (11. 91 ff.).

^ y_^^^^ f ^^3^. Ibid., t. V, p. 11 (1- 265).

6 Ibid., t. V, p. 40 (1. 287).

^--lijiz^v^^- ^^'•^•' p- 45 (!• 306).

8 — ^Jl CSW] ^- ^^'■^•' ^- ^^' P- 51 ^^- 450;
t. Ill, p. 208 (1. 234).

9 Ibid., t. V, p. 46 (I. 307).
10 Ibid, t. VII, p. 168 (1. 452).

" Ibid., t. Ill, p. 208 (1. 233), n ^ '^ •

- Ibid., t. IV. p. 49 (1. 430), (j ^ -f ^^ P

A^*V^/V^ ^WW^wN

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 87

The place of the deceased in heaven is by the side of
God ^ in the most holy place, ^ and he becomes God and
an angel of God ; ^ he himself is a speaker of the truth,*
and his Ka is triumphant.^ He sits on a great throne by
the side of God.^ The throne is of iron, or alabaster,

1 ^^ \ X) H J^U / I un-k ar kes tieter. Recueil de Travaux,

A/WN/SA <!-__-> I I

t. Ill, p. 202 (1. 209).

2 n AAAAA^ ( 9 0 0 I <rz> n '=^ AAAAAA 1 c <;!=> (1 ^ V_^ . Il>id., t. V,

p. 189(1. 178).

(1- 175)

^ I ntaa-kheru. Ibid., t. V, p. i86 (1. 172). These words

are in later times always added after the name of the deceased, and seem
to mean something like " he whose voice, or speech, is right and true " ;
the expression has been rendered by "disant la verite," "veridique,"
"juste," "justifie," "vainqueur," "waltend des Wortes," " machtig der
Rede," "vrai de voix," "juste de voix," "victorious," " triumphant," and
the like. See on this subject Maspero, Etudes de Mythologie et (TArcheologie,
t. I, pp. 93-114; Deveria, V Expression Mad-xerou ijj\ Reaieil de Travaux^
t. I, pp. 10 ff.). As to the general meaning of madkheni there can be no
doubt. When Set made accusations against Osiris, which Osiris denied, the
gods of Anu tried Osiris to find out which of the two was speaking the truth.
Thoth proved conclusively that Osiris was innocent of the charges made by
Set, and therefore that he was niadkheru, i.e., true of word, or truth-speaker,
or innocent. A somewhat different view of the signification of niadkheru is
given by Virey {Tombeau de Rekhmara, Paris, 1889, p. loi. Published in
Me moires publics par les Membres de la Miss. Arch. Erafi^aise au Caire,
t. V, fasc. I). The offerings which were painted on the walls of the tomb
were actually enjoyed by the deceased in his new state of being. The
Egyptians called them '•'■per kheru" that is to say, " the things which the
word or the demand made to appear,^' or '■'■per hru kkeru," that is to say,
" the things which presented the )n selves at the tcwd" or "at the demand" of
the deceased. The deceased was then called " maakheru" that is to say,
"he who realizes his word" or ^'^ he who realizes while he speaks," or " ivhose
voice or defnatid realizes," or " whose voice or demand makes true, or makes to
be really afid actually " that which only appears in painting on the walls of
the tomb. M. Amelineau combats this interpretation, and agrees with
M. Maspero's rendering of "Juste de voix "; see Un Tombeau Egyptien (in
Revue de PHistoire des Religions), t. XXIII, pp. 153, 154.
5 Ibid., t. V, p. 189 (1. 179).

p. 58 (1. 494).

88 The Papyrus of Ani

ornamented with lions' faces and having the hoofs of bulls.^
He is clothed in the finest raiment, like unto the raiment of
those who sit on the throne of living right and truth. -^ He
receives the Urrt Crown from the gods,^ and from the
Great Company of the Gods of Anu,'* He thirsts not,
nor hungers, nor is sad ; ^ he eats the bread of Ra and
drinks what he drinks daily,'' and his bread also is that
which is the word of Keb, and that which comes forth
from the mouths of the gods.''' He eats what the gods eat,
he drinks what they drink, he lives as they live, and he
dwells where they dwell ; ^ all the gods give him their food
that he may not die.^ Not only does he eat and drink of
their food, but he wears the apparel which they wear,^*^ the
white linen and sandals ; ^^ he is clothed in white,^^ and
'* he eoeth to the ereat lake in the midst of the F'ield of
" Offerings whereon the great gods sit ; and these great and
" never-failing gods give unto him [to eat] of the tree of

" life of which they themselves do eat | n v\ ^^^^^ ■¥■

"t ®^ [1 'vw^/vv \\ ^v ^^ that he likewise may live." ^^

The bread which he eats never decays, and his beer

A '^

^ f^ f? f^' ^^'^"^^^ ^^ Travaux, t. VII, p. 154 (11. 309, 310).
2 Il?id., t. V, p. 148 (1. 239). 3 //;/^.^ t, IV, p. 56 (1. 480).

4 md., t. V, p. 176 (1. 117). * Ibid., t. Ill, p. 195 (1. 172).

6 Ibid., t. V, p. 52 (1. 335).

Ibid., t. Ill, p. 208 (1. 234).

« Ibid., t. Ill, p. 198 (11. 191 f.).
9 Ibid., t. V, p. 164 (1. 56).

p. 190 (1. 180).

A AA/SA/NA

12 Ibid., t. IV, p. 45 (1. 394). 13 y^/^.^ t. VII, p. 165 (1. 430).

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 89

never grows stale. ^ He eats of the "bread of eternity"
and drinks of the " beer of everlastin^j^ness " which the gods
eat and drink ; " and he nourishes himself upon that bread
which the Eye of Horus has shed upon the branches of the
olive tree.^ He suffers neither hunger nor thirst like the
gods Shu and Tefnut, for he is filled with the bread of
wheat of which Horus himself has eaten ; and the four
children of Horus, Hapi, Tuamutef, Oebhsenuf, and Amset,
have appeased the hunger of his belly and the thirst of his
lips.* He abhors the hunger which he cannot satisfy, and
he loathes the thirst which he cannot slake ; ^ but he is
delivered from the power of those who would steal away his
food.*^ He is washed clean, and his Ka is washed clean,
and they eat bread together for ever.''' He is one of the
four children of Horus who live on right and truth, '^ and
they give him his portion of the food with which they have
been so abundantly supplied by the god Keb that they have
never yet known what it is to hunger. He goes round
about heaven even as they do, and he partakes of their food
of figs and wine.^

Those who would be hostile to the deceased become
thereby foes of the god Temu, and all injuries inflicted on
him are inflicted on that god ;^^ he dwells without fear under
the protection of the gods,^^ from whose loins he has come
forth. ^~ To him "the earth is an abomination, and he will
" not enter into Keb ; for his soul hath burst for ever the
" bonds of his sleep in his house which is upon earth. His
" calamities are brought to an end, for Unas hath been
" purified with the Eye of Horus ; the calamities of Unas

Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 41 (1. 288), and t. VII, p. 167 (I. 442).

o ^H- ^^'■^•. t. VII, p. 160 (1. 390).

■'• Ibid., t. Ill, p. 199 (1. 200). ■* Ibid., t. V, p. 10 (11. 54ff.).

"> Ibid., t. Ill, p. 199 (11. 195 f.). '^ Ibid., t. IV, p. 48 (1. 429).
" Ibid., t. V, p. 167 (1. 66). 8 Ibid., t. VIII, p. 106 (1. 673).

Ibid., t. VIII, p. no (1. 692). 10 Ibid., t. IV, p. 74 (1. 602).

11 Ibid., t. IV, p. 46 (1. 405). 12 7/,/^,^ t. Ill, p. 202 (1. 209).

90 The Papyrus of Ani

" have been done away by Isis and Nephthys. Unas is in
" heaven, Unas is in heaven, in the form of air, in the form
" of air ; he perisheth not, neither doth anything which is
" in him perish.^ He is firmly stabHshed in heaven, and
" he taketh his pure seat in the bows of the bark of Ra.
" Those who row Ra up into the heavens row him also, and
" those who row Ra beneath the horizon row him also." ^
The life which the deceased leads is said to be generally
that of him "who entereth into the west of the sky, and
who cometh forth from the east thereof"^ In brief, the
condition of the blessed is summed up in the following
extract from the Pyramid of Pepi I : — '^

" I. Hail, thou Pepi, 2. thou hast come, thou art a
" Spirit-soul, and thou hast gotten might like the god,
" 3. behold thou art enthroned, Osiris. Thy Heart-soul is
•' with thee in thee, 4. thy vital strength is behind thee.
" Thy 6^rr/' Crown is upon thy head, 5« thy headdress is
" upon thy shoulders, thy face is before thee, and those who
" sing songs of joy are upon 6. both sides of thee ; those
" who follow in the train of God are behind thee, and the
" Spirit-bodies are upon each side of thee. 7* They cry out,
" The god cometh, the god cometh, Pepi hath come upon
" the throne of Osiris. The Spirit-soul who 8. dwelleth
" in Netat, the Power that dwelleth in Teni, hath come.
" Isis speaketh unto thee, Nephthys holdeth converse with
" thee, and the 9. Spirit-souls come unto thee bowing their
•' backs, they smell the earth at thy feet, by reason of thy
" slaughter, O Pepi, 10. in the towns of Saa. Thou comest
" forth to thy mother Nut, and she graspeth thy arm, and
" she maketh a way for thee II. through the sky to the
" place where Ra abideth. Thou hast opened the gates of
" the sky, thou hast opened the doors of the celestial deep ;
" thou hast found 12. Ra and he protecteth thee, he hath
" taken thee by thy hand, he hath led thee into the two
" halves of 13. heaven, and he hath placed thee on the throne

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 51 (11. 447 f.).
2 Ibid., t. V, p. 53 (1. 340).

1^ ^ '^ ^- ^l''d-^ t. 8, p. 104 (1. 665).
* Ibid., t. V, p. 159 (11. 1-2 1).

/V\AA^V\

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 91

" of Osiris. Hail, O Pepi ! The Eye of Horus came to
" hold converse with thee ; 14. thy soul which is among the
" gods Cometh unto thee ; thy power which dwclleth among
" the Spirit-souls cometh unto thee. As a son fighteth for
" his father, and as Horus fought for Osiris, 15. even so
" doth Horus deliver Pepi from the hand of his enemies.
" Stand up, avenged, endowed with all things like unto
" a god, and equipped with 16. the Form of Osiris upon
** the throne of Khent-Amenti. Thou doest that which he
" doeth among the imperishable Spirit-souls ; 17. thy son
" standeth upon thy throne being provided with thy Form,
" and it doeth that which thou doest in the presence of
" Him that is the First among the Living, by the command
•' of Ra, the great god. 18. He reapeth the wheat, he
" cutteth the barley, and he giveth it unto thee. Hail, Pepi !
" He that hath given unto thee life and all serenity for ever
" is Ra. 19. Thou speakest to thy body, thou hast received
" the Form of God, and thou hast become magnified
" thereby before the gods who are at the head of the Lake.
" Hail, Pepi, thy Heart-soul standeth 20. among the gods
" and among the Spirit-souls, and the fear of thee striketh
" into their hearts. Hail, Pepi ! Stand up, Pepi, on thy
" throne at the head of the 21. living, thy slaughter [striketh
" terror] into their hearts. Thy name liveth upon earth,
" thy name shall flourish upon earth, thou shalt neither
" perish nor be destroyed for ever and for ever."

Side by side however, with the passages which speak
of the material and spiritual enjoyments of the deceased,
we have others which seem to imply that the Egyptians
believed in a corporeal existence,^ or at least in the capacity
for corporeal enjoyment, in the future state. This belief

1 Compare 4 (^ '^•^^
Q ^^ oTT ^^ —'^ '^^^ "^^ " O flesh of Teta, rot not, decay not, stink
not." Reciieil de Travaux, t. V, p. 55 (1. 347). fg Q Q J 1 "vN

0 (I ^^ " Pepi goeth forth with his flesh" ; I'^id., t. V, p. 185

bones shall not be destroyed, and thy flesh shall not perish " ; t'di'd., p. 55
(1- 353).

92 The Papyrus of Ani

may have rested upon the view that the Hfe in the next
world was but a continuation of the life upon earth, which
it resembled closely, or it may have been due to the survival
of semi-savage gross ideas incorporated into the religious
texts of the Egyptians. However this may be, it is quite
certain that in the Vth dynasty the deceased king Unas
eats with his mouth, and exercises other natural functions of
the body, and gratifies his passions.^ But the most remark-
able passage in this connection is one in the pyramid of
Unas. Here all creation is represented as being in terror
when they see the deceased king rise up as a soul in the
form of a god who devours " his fathers and mothers " ; he
feeds upon men and also upon gods. He hunts the gods
in the fields and snares them ; and when they are tied up

^ Compare the following passages : —

CMDWUZCSlJ^I-^-^q^^^^

Recueil de Travaux^ t. IV, p. 76 (11. 628,629).

. Idid., t. V, p. 37 (1. 277).

Ihd., t. Ill, p. 197 (11. 182 f.).

id) <==>/\ — ^y'™^ ^^^1
\^^^ S^P^

IT] D
/h'd., t. V, p. 40 (1. 286), and see M. Maspero's note on the same page

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 93

for slaughter he cuts their throats and disembowels them.
He roasts and eats the best of them, but the old gods and
goddesses are used for fuel. By eating them he imbibes

both their magical powers ^ lJ and their Spirit-souls

'^^''^j'^, . He becomes the " Great Power, the Power

" of Powers, and the god of all the great gods who exist in
" visible forms," ^ and he is at the head of all the salpi, or

Spirit-bodies in heaven. He carries off the hearts -^^ 5^^

of the gods, and devours the wisdom of every god ; therefore
the duration of his life is everlasting and he lives to all
eternity, for the Heart-souls of the gods and their Spirit-
souls are in him. The whole passage reads : — ^

" 496. The skies lower, the stars tremble, 497. the
Archers quake, the 498. bones of Akeru-gods tremble,
and those who are with them are struck dumb when they
see 499. Unas rising up as a soul, in the form of the god
who liveth upon his fathers and who maketh to be his
food his 500' mothers. Unas is the lord of wisdom,
and 501. his mother knoweth not his name. The
adoration of Unas is in heaven, he hath become mighty
in the horizon 502. like unto Temu, the father that gave
him birth, and after Temu gave him birth 503. Unas
became stronger than his father. The Doubles of Unas
are behind him, the sole of his foot is beneath his feet,
his gods are over him, his uraei are [seated] 504. upon
his brow, the serpent guides of Unas are in front of him,
and the spirit of the flame looketh upon [his] soul. The
505. powers of Unas protect him ; Unas is a bull in
heaven, he directeth his steps where he will, he liveth
upon the form which 506. each god taketh upon himself,
and he eateth the flesh of those who come to fill their
bellies with the magical charms in the Lake of Fire.
Unas is 507* equipped with power against the Spirit-souls

Pyramid of Teta, 1. 327;

r-vr-\ .WS T rirn -B^ czsn
Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 50.

2 See Maspero, Ibid., t. IV, p. 59, t. V, p. 50 ; and Sethe,
Pyramidentexte, Bd. I, p. 205.

94 The Papyrus of Ani

thereof, and he riseth up in the form of the mighty one,
the lord of those who dwell in power (?). Unas hath
taken his seat with his side turned towards Keb.
508. Unas hath weighed his words with the hidden god (?)
who hath no name, on the day of hacking in pieces the
firstborn. Unas is the lord of offerings, the untier of the
knot, and he himself maketh abundant the offerings of
meat and drink. 509* Unas devoureth men and liveth
upon the gods, he is the lord of envoys, whom he sendeth
forth on his missions. ' He who cutteth off hairy scalps,'
who dwelleth in the fields, tieth the gods with ropes ;
510. Tcheser-tep keepeth guard over them for Unas and
driveth them unto him ; and the Cord-master hath bound
them for slaughter. Khonsu the slayer of the wicked
cutteth their throats 511. and draweth out their intestines,
for it is he whom Unas sendeth to slaughter ; and Shesmu
cutteth them in pieces and boileth their members in his
blazing caldrons of the night. 5^2. Unas eateth their
magical powers, and he swalloweth their Spirit-souls ; the
great ones among them serve for his meal at daybreak, the
lesser serve for his meal at eventide, and the least among
them serve for his meal in the night. S^3' The old gods
and the old croddesses become fuel for his furnace. The
mighty ones in heaven light the fire under the caldrons
where are heaped up the thighs of the firstborn ; and he
that maketh those who live 514* in heaven to go about for
Unas liorhteth the fire under the caldrons with the thiorfis
of their women ; he goeth round about the Two Heavens
in their entirety, and he goeth round about the two banks
of the Celestial Nile. Unas is the Great Power, the
Power of Powers, 5l5' ^^d Unas is the Chief of the gods
in visible forms. Whatever he findeth upon his path he
eateth forthwith, and the magical might of Unas is before
that of all the 516. Spirit-bodies who dwell in the horizon.
Unas is the firstborn of the firstborn gods. Unas is
surrounded by thousands, and oblations are made unto
him by hundreds ; he is made manifest as the Great
Power by Sah (Orion) 517. the father of the gods.
Unas repeateth his rising in heaven and he is crowned
lord of the horizon. He hath reckoned up the bandlets
and the arm-rings, he hath taken possession of the hearts
of the gods. 5^S. Unas hath eaten the Red Crown, and

The Doctrine of Eternal Life 95

he hath swallowed the White Crown ; the food of Unas
is the intestines, and his meat is hearts and their words of
power. 519. Behold, Unas eateth of that which the Red
Crown sendeth forth, he increaseth, and the words of
power of the gods are in his belly ; 520. his attributes are
not removed from him. Unas hath eaten the whole of
the knowledge of every god, and the period of his life is
eternity, and the duration of his existence is 521. ever-
lastingness in the form of one who doeth what he wisheth,
and doth not do what he hateth, and he abideth in the
horizon for ever and ever and ever. The Soul of the
gods is in Unas, their Spirit-souls are with 522. Unas,
and the offerings made unto him are more than those
which are made unto the gods. The fird of Unas 523. is
in their bones, for their soul is with Unas, and their
shades are with those who belong unto them. 524. Unas
hath been with the two hidden (?) Kha(.'*) gods who are

without power (?) 525. ; the seat of the

heart of Unas is among those who live upon this earth
for ever and ever and ever."

The notion that, by eating the flesh, or particularly by
drinking the blood, of another living being, a man absorbs
his nature or life into his own, is one which appears amono-
primitive peoples in many forms. It lies at the root of the
wide-spread practice of drinking the fresh blood of enemies —
a practice which was familiar to certain tribes of the Arabs
before Muhammad, and which tradition still ascribes to the
wild race of Cahtan — and also of the habit practised by
many savage huntsmen of eating some part (^.^., the liver)
of dangerous carnivora, in order that the courage of the
animal may pass into them. The flesh and blood of brave
men also are, among semi-savage or savage tribes, eaten
and drunk to inspire courage. But the idea of hunting,
killing, roasting and eating the gods as described above is
not apparently common among ancient nations ; the main
object of the dead king in doing this was to secure the
eternal life which was the peculiar attribute of the gods.^
The text of the passage describing the cannibalism of Unas
is as follows : —

^ Cannibalism among the Egyptians is discussed at length in my Osiris
afid the Egyptian Resurrection, 2 vols. London, 1910.

COO

96 The Papyrus of Ani

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Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 99

EGYPTIAN IDEAS ABOUT GOD
AND THE "GODS"

To the great and supreme Power which made the
heavens, the gods, the earth, the sea, the sky, men and
women, birds, animals and creeping things, all that is and
all that is yet to come into being, the Egyptians gave the

name of fte^er ^^ |, or nether s=> j, a word which

survives in Coptic under the form nuti worcX. This word
has been translated "god-like," "holy," "divine," "sacred,"
"power," "strength," "force," "strong," "fortify," "mighty,"
" protect," but it is quite impossible to be certain that any
word which we may use represents the meaning of neter,
because no one knows exactly what idea the ancient
Egyptians attached to the word. The truth is that the
exact meaning of neter was lost at a very early period of
Egyptian history, and even the Coptic does not help us to
recover it. It has been asserted that the meaning oi neter
is " strong," but this is clearly a derived and not an original
meaning. The late Dr. Brugsch defined neter to mean
" the active power which produces and creates things in
" regular recurrence ; which bestows new life upon them,
" and gives back to them their youthful vigour,"^ and he
adds that the innate conception of the word completely
covers the original meaning of the Greek ^vcrt? and the
Latin natiira. Such views about the meaning of neter may
well have been held by the cultured and philosophical
Greek, but their abstract character puts them out of the
range of the mind of the native Egyptian, which was
incapable naturally of formulating ideas of this kind. The
difficulty that surrounds the meaning of neter is further
increased by the manner in which the Egyptians used the
word, for in texts of all periods it is used for God, and also for
any being who was thought to possess some divine attribute
or characteristic. Thus the great cosmic powers, and the

^ Die thatige Kraft, welche in periodischer Wiederkehr die Dinge
erzeugt und erschafft, ihren neues Leben verleiht und die Jugendfrische
zuriick giebt. Religion und Mythologie, p. 93.

H 2

loo The Papyrus of Ani

beings who although held to be "divine" were yet finite
and mortal, and were endowed by the Egyptians with love,
hatred, and passions of every sort and kind, were called

neteru, ^^^^^, or "j^"], or "]"]'] I, or ']']'] ^^j, or
Jj I , or ^^^, or ^1, and the word is translated

"gods " by Egyptologists. The following extracts illustrate
the use of the word neter. To King Unas it is said in his
Pyramid Text (1. 209) : —

1. " Thou art by the side of god." ^^^3:^ \

To King Teta it is said in his Pyramid Text (11. 231, 232).

2. " He weigheth words, behold, god he heareth the

•• words," s&n^pp^kZik-^i

3. "God hath called Teta," [j p \^\\\ 0- --3)-

In the Pyramid Text of Pepi I we have : —

4. " Thou hast received the form of god, thou art
" great therewith before the gods at the head of the

" Lake of Horus," ^n ']-'=^^| qM^'^^

4. " Hail, Osiris Pepi. These thy libations are
" presented unto thee, libations to thee before Horus
" in thy name of ' Comer forth from the cool water'
" (or, from the Cataract). Incense is presented unto
" thee, for thou art god. Thy mother Nut hath set
" thee to be god to thine enemy in thy name of god,"

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5. " This Pepi adoreth god," .r^^^"^^ [%\\
' 1(1.185).

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" loi

6. " This Pepi is then god, the son of god," (0^1

7. The officer Netchemab says,^ " I never defrauded
" anyone in respect of his property, making him to
" complain of me because of it to the god of my town,"

Vi. '^ I -wwvv I ® , and again he says, " Never did

" I let any man be afraid of one who was stronger than
" himself, [thereby] causing him to complain [of me]
" because of it to god,"

In the first six of these examples it is possible to say
that the g-od referred to in them is : i. God. 2. The local
town-god, or tribal-god. 3. Osiris. 4. Ra ; but whichever
explanation be accepted, it is quite clear that the writers of
these texts had in their minds a Being who stood to them
for God. In the seventh example the writer emphasizes
the difference which he felt existed between the town-god
and god. Matters that related to his material possessions
could be dealt with by the town-god, but the intangible
terror which the feudal lord of the day could make to sink
into the mind of the serf was a matter which only the
Supreme Being, by whatever name He was called at that
time, could put right.

We may now quote a series of examples from the
Prisse Papyrus, which contain moral precepts attributed to
Kaqemna, who flourished in the reign of Seneferu, a king of
the I Vth dynasty, and to Ptah-hetep, who flourished in the
reign of Assa, a king of the Vth dynasty.^

^ Sethe, Urkimdefi, I, 28.

2 For the hieratic text see Prisse d'Avennes, Facsimile d'un papyrus
Egyptien en caracteres hieratiques, Paris, 1847 j M. Jequier, Le Papyrus
Prisse, Paris, 191 1 ; Maspero, Pecueil, XXXI, pp. 146 ff. ; Budge, Hieratic
Papyri, London, 19 10, No. V; Heath, Proverbs of Aphobis, London,
Longman Brown & Co. [no date] ; Chabas, Rev. Arch., ist series, torn. XV ;
Lauth, Sitzungsberichte der KgL Bayer. Akad., 1869, 1870; Virey, Les
Maximes de Ptah-hotep, Paris, 1887 ; Griffith, P.S.B.A., Vol. XIII,
pp. 67-76.

102
1. ^

The Papyrus of Ani

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^ III

Not known are the things of the work of god. (Plate II, 1. 2.)

IX£.kS^^i -P4^

Do not cause terror in men ; [it is] opposition

[to] god. (Plate IV, 1. 8.)

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The eating of bread is under the dispensation of god.

(Plate VII, 1. 2.)

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If thou ploughest crops (?) in a field, hath given it

god. (Plate VII, 1. 5.)

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If thou wouldst be a wise man beget thou a son

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god. (Plate VII, 1. 11.)

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Satisfy thy dependants by thy deeds, it is the act

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of the favoured ones of god. (Plate XI, 1. i.)

7. "If having been of no account, thou hast become great ;
" and, if having- been poor, thou hast become rich, when
*' thou art governor of the city, be not hard-hearted because
" of thy advancement, because thou art the governor

" of the provisions of god," H '^^•^ ^^ l\ ^ 1 1 i '
(Plate XIII, 1. 8.) ^^

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 103

Beloved of god is obedience ; disobedience is an abomination

to god. (Plate XVI, 1. 7.)

1.6.)

Verily a son good is of the giving of god. (Plate XIV,

The followinor extracts from the Maxims of Ani or
Khensu-hetep ^ are also very instructive ; these Maxims
were compiled not later than about 1000 B.C., but it is very
probable that many of them are as old as the Ancient
Empire : —

1. "The god is for magnifying his name,"

2. " The house of God, an abomination to it is much
" speaking. Pray thou with a loving heart, all its words
" being hidden. He will do thy business. He will hear
" what thou sayest, [and] will receive thy offerings,"

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3. " Thy god giveth existence," (1 ^ p I

4. " The god judgeth the truth,"

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^ See Mariette, Papyrus Egyptien, Cairo ; de Rouge, Comptes Rendus,
Paris, 187 1, pp. 340-350; yidi^t^exo, Journal de Paris, 15 Mars, 187 1 ;
ChsihdiS, L'Egyptologie, Chalons, 187 6- 1878; AmelinesLU, Morale £g}piienne,
Paris, 1892.

I04

The Papyrus of Ani

5. " [In] offering to thy god guard against the things
" which are abominations to him. Consider with thine eye
" his dispensations. Devote thyself to the adoration of his
" name. He giveth souls (or will, or strength) to millions
" of forms. He mao-nifieth him that macrnifieth him. The
" god of this earth is Shu, the chief of the horizon. His
" similitudes are upon the earth, and to these incense and
" offerings are given daily,"

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6. " I gave thee to thy mother who carried thee as she
carried thee, and without any help from me she carried
thee — a heavy burden. When after thy months [in the
womb] thou wast born, she put herself under the yoke,

for three years her breasts were in thy mouth

When thou wast sent to school to be taught, day by day
unfailingly she came to thy teacher, bringing bread and
beer for thee from her house. Now that thou hast
become a young man, and art married, and hast a house,
watch well thy child, and bring him up as thy mother
brought thee up. Make it not necessary for her {i.e., thy
mother) to suffer, lest if she lift up her hands to God He
will hearken unto her [complaints and punish thee],"

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Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 105

7. " Give thyself to the god, griard thou thyself well for
the g"od daily, and let to-morrow be as to-day " [i.e., do
not be strict one day and lax the next),

ra^^

The following extract from Chapter CLIV of the
Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead throws much
light upon one of the views which the Egyptians held as to
the mortal nature of the " gods ": " Preserve me, O Temu,
" as thou dost thyself from such decay as that which thou
" workest on every god, every goddess, all animals, and all
" creeping' things, [Each] passeth away when his soul hath
" gone forth after his death ; he perisheth after he hath
'* passed away,"

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As a result of their studies of Egyptian texts many of
the earlier Egyptologists, e.g., Champollion-Figeac, de
Rouge, Pierret and Brugsch, came to the conclusion that
the dwellers in the Nile Valley, from the earliest times,
believed in the existence of one God, nameless, incom-
prehensible, and eternal. They believed that neter might
in many places refer to God, and that the plural neteru,
" gods," only indicated a class, or classes, of celestial beings
who possessed some attribute which is usually associated
with the Deity. In i860 de Rouge wrote : " The unity of
" a supreme and self-existent being, his eternity, his
" almightiness, and external reproduction thereby as
" God ; the attributing of the creation of the world and

io6 The Papyrus of Ani

" of all living beings to this Supreme God ; the immortality
" of the soul, completed by the dogma of punishment and
" rewards ; such is the sublime and persistent base which,
" notwithstanding all deviations and all mythological
" embellishments, must secure for the beliefs of the ancient
" Egyptians a most honourable place among the nations of
" antiquity."^ Nine years later he developed this view, and
discussed " the difficulties of reconciling the belief in the
" unity of God with the polytheism which existed in Egypt
" from the earliest times," and he repeated his conviction
that the Egyptians believed in a self-existent God who was
One Beino-, who had created man, and who had endowed
him with an immortal soul, (La Croyance a TUnit^ du
Dieu supreme, a ses attributs de Createur et de L^gislateur
de I'homme qu'il a doue d'une ame immortelle,)- In fact,
de Rouge amplified what Champollion-Figeac (relying
upon his brother's information) wrote in 1839: "The
" Egyptian religion is a pure monotheism, which mani-
" fested itself externally by a symbolic polytheism "
(Iigyptc, Paris, 1839, p, 245). M, Pierret adopted the view-
that the texts show us that the Egyptians believed in One
infinite and eternal God who was without a second, and
he repeats Champollion's dictum,'^ But the greatest
supporter of the monotheistic theory was Dr. Brugsch,
who in his Religion unci Mythologie (Leipzig, 1885-
1888) collected a series of striking passages from the texts.
From these the following are selected : —

God is One and only, and none other existeth with
Him. — God is the One, the One who hath made all things.
— God is a spirit, a hidden spirit, the spirit of spirits, the
great spirit of the Egyptians, the divine spirit. — God is
from the beginning, and He hath been from the beginning.
He hath existed from of old, and was when nothing else had
being. He existed when nothing else existed, and what
existeth He created after He had come into being. He is
the Father of beofinninQ;s, — God is the eternal One, He is
eternal and infinite, and endureth for ever and aye. — God is

^ Etudes sur le Rituel Fimiraire des Anciens Egypiiens (in Rev. Arch.,
Paris, i860, p. 72).

* Confcretice sur la Religio?i des Anciens Egyptiens (in Anfiales de
Philosophic Chritienne, s'""* S^rie, t. XX, Paris, 1869, pp. 325-337).

^ Le Pantheon Egyptien, Paris, i88r, p, 4.

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 107

hidden and no man knoweth His form. No man hath been
able to seek out His likeness ; He is hidden to gods and
men, and He is a mystery unto His creatures. No man
knoweth how to know Him. — His name remaineth hidden ;
His name is a mystery unto His children. His names are
innumerable, they are manifold, and none knoweth their
number. — God is Truth, He liveth by Truth, He feedeth
thereon, He is the Kin^^ of Truth, and He hath established
the earth thereupon. — God is life, and through Him only
man liveth. He giveth life to man, He breatheth the
breath of life into his nostrils. — God is father and mother,
the father of fathers and the mother of mothers. He
begetteth, but was never begotten ; He produceth, but was
never produced ; He begat Himself and produced Himself.
He createth, but was never created. He is the maker of
His own form, and the fashioner of His own body. — God
Himself is existence. He endureth without increase or
diminution, He multiplieth Himself millions of times, He
is manifold in forms and in members. — God hath made the
universe, and He hath created all that therein is. He is
the Creator of what is in this world, and of what was, and
of what is, and of what shall be. He is the creator of the
heavens, and the earth, and of the deep, and of the water,
and of the mountains. God hath stretched out the
heavens and founded the earth. — What His heart {i.e.,
mind) conceived straightway came to pass. When He hath
spoken it cometh to pass and endureth for ever. — God is
the father of the Gods. He fashioneth man and formeth
the gods. — God is merciful unto those who reverence
Him, and He heareth him that calleth upon Him. God
knoweth him that acknowledg^eth Him. He rewardeth
him that serveth Him, and He protecteth him that fol-
lowteh Him.^

The above extracts were compiled by Brugsch from
many texts, and they are not all of the same date, but
several Hymns are extant in which all the ideas expressed
above are embodied, and from one of these we quote the
following : —

1 Brugsch, Religion, pp. 96-99. The whole Chapter on the Egyptian
conception of God should be read with Maspero's review of the book in
La Myth. Egyptienne {Etudes de Mythologie, t. II, pp. 189 ff.).

io8 The Papyrus of Ani

"A Hymn to Amen-Ra, the Bull in Hellopolis,
" president of all the gods, beautiful god, beloved one, the
" giver of life and heat to the young cattle. Hail to
" thee, Amen-Ra, Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands,
" Governor in the Apts (Karnak), Kamutef, the prince of
" his fields, he of the long strides. Governor of the Land
" of the South, Lord of the Matchaiu (Nubians), Prince of
" Punt, lord of the heavens, eldest son of the earth, lord of
" things which exist, stablisher of things, stablisher of all
" things. One in his times among the gods. Beautiful
" Bull of the Nine gods. President of all the gods, Lord of
" Truth (or Law), father of the gods, maker of men ;
" creator of beasts, lord of things which exist, creator of
" the staff of life (wheat ? ), maker of the green herb
" which nourisheth the cattle. The Form made by
" Ptah, the beautiful Child, the beloved one. The gods
" adore him, the maker of things which are below, and of
" things which are above. He shineth on Egypt as
" he saileth over the sky in peace. King of the South and
" North, Ra, whose word is truth, the Governor of the
" world, the mighty one of valour, the lord of terror, the
'* chief who made the world as he made himself. His
*' forms are more numerous than those of any god. The
" gods rejoice in his bounties, and they praise him as the
" god of the horizon, as the god who riseth in the horizon of
" fire. The gods love the smell of him when he, the eldest-
" born of the dew, cometh from Punt, when he traverseth
" the land of the Matchaiu, the Beautiful Face coming from
" the Land of the god {i.e., the South-Eastern Sudan).
" The gods cast themselves down at his feet when they
" recognize His Majesty, their Lord, the lord of fear,
" the mighty one of victory, the mighty of Will, the lord of
" crowns, who maketh offerings to flourish, and createth
" the divine food.

" Adorations be to thee, O Maker of the gods, who
"hast stretched out the heavens and founded the earth !
" The untiring Watcher Menu-Amen, lord of eternity,
" maker of the everlastingness, lord of adorations,

" Governor of the Apts lord of rays, creator of

" light. The gods acclaim him, and he stretcheth out his
" hand to him that loveth him. His flame casteth down
" his enemies, his Eye overthroweth the rebels, it driveth

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 109

its spear into the sky and maketh the serpent Nak to
vomit what it hath swallowed.

" Hail to thee, Ra, Lord of Truth, whose shrine is
hidden, thou Master of the gods, thou god Khepera in
thy boat ; at the going forth of thy word the gods sprang
into being. Hail, Atem, maker of mortals. However
many be their forms he nourisheth them, he maketh
the colour of one to be different from the other. He
heareth the prayer of the oppressed one, he is kind
of heart to him that calleth upon him, he delivereth
the timid man from the oppressor, he judgeth between
the mighty and the weak. He is the Lord of
Knowledge, and Wisdom is the utterance of his mouth.
At his will the Nile appeareth, when the greatly-
beloved Lord of the palm-tree cometh he maketh
mortals to live. He furthereth every work, he worketh
in heaven, he produceth the beneficent light ; the gods
rejoice in his beautiful deeds, and their hearts live when

they see him His name is hidden from his

children in his name ' Amen ' Beloved art

thou as thou passest through Egypt. When thou
risest thou sendest forth light from thy beautiful Eyes
{i.e., Sun and Moon). The dead of olden times {pcif)
rejoice when thou shinest. When thou shinest in thy
full strength the cattle languish. Beloved art thou when
thou art in the northern sky, pleasant art thou when thou
art in the southern sky. Thy beauties seize and carry
away all hearts, the love of thee maketh the arms to
drop, thy beautiful deeds make the hands to tremble, all
hearts melt at the sight of thee, O Form, One, creator
of all things, O One, Only, maker of things which
are. Men came forth from his eyes, the gods sprang into
being at the utterance of his mouth. He maketh the
green herb whereon the catde live, and the staff of life
(wheat, or barley) whereon men live. He maketh the
fish to live in the rivers, and the feathered fowl in
the sky. He giveth life to that which is in the ^%^,
he maketh birds of all kinds to live, and the reptiles
which crawl and spring. He maketh the rats (or mice)
in their holes to live, and the birds which are on every
green twig. Hail to thee, O thou maker of all these
things, thou Only One. In his mightiness he taketh

I lo The Papyrus of Ani

" many forms. He watcheth over all people as they
" sleep. He careth for the welfare of his animal creation.
" O Amen, thou stablisher of all things, O Atmu, O
" Heru-Khuti, all people adore thee, saying, ' Praise be to
" thee because thou dvvellest among us, [we pay] homage
" to thee because thou hast created us.' All creatures
" cry out to thee ' Hail,' and all lands praise thee. From
" the highest heights of heaven to the uttermost parts
" of the earth and to the lowest depths of the sea thou
*' art praised. The gods bow down before Thy Majesty
" and exalt the souls of their Creator. They rejoice
" when they meet their begetter, and they say unto thee,
" ' Come in peace ! (i.e., Welcome !) O father of the fathers
" of all the gods, who hast spread out the sky, who hast
" founded the earth, who hast made the things which
" are, who hast created the things which shall be, thou
" Prince, thou Life, thou Health, thou Strength, the
" First among the gods. We adore thy Souls, for thou
" didst make us. Thou didst make us. Thou hast sfiven
" birth to us, and we ascribe praise unto thee because
" thou dwellest among us.'

" Hail to thee, maker of all things. Lord of Truth,
" father of the gods, maker of man, creator of animals,
" lord of grain, who makest the beasts on the hills to
" live. Hail, Bull Amen, Beautiful Face ! Thou art
" beloved in the Apts, thou art the mighty one who
" art crowned in thy shrine, thou art doubly crowned
" in Heliopolis, [where] thou didst judge between Horus
" and Set in the Great Hall. Thou art the Head of the
" Great Company of the gods, the Only One, who hast
" no second, the Head of the Apts. Thou art the god
" Ani, Head of the Company of thy gods, living on Truth
"(or, by Law) Heru-Khuti of the East! Thou hast at
*' thy Will created the mountains, and the silver, and the
" gold, and the real lapis-lazuli [therein]. Incense and
" fresh myrrh are set before thy nose, O Beautiful Face,
" as thou comest from the land of the Matchaiu (Nubians).
" O Amen-Ra, Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands,
" Head of the Apts, thou Ani, Head of thy shrine. King
" One, among the gods. Thy names are myriad, they
" cannot be told. Thou risest in the east and thou settest
" in the west, and dost overthrow thy enemies when thou

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 1 1 1

' art born daily. Thoth exalteth thy two Eyes (the Sun
' and Moon), and maketh thee to dwell in splendour.
' The gods rejoice in thy beauties, which those who are
' in thy trainexalt. Thou art the lord of the Sektet Boat
' and of the Atet Boat, which travel over the sky with thee
' in peace. Thy sailors rejoice when they see Nak over-
' thrown, his limbs stabbed with the knife, the fire
' devouring him, his accursed soul beaten out of his
' accursed body, and his feet cut off. The gods rejoice,
' Ra is satisfied, and Anu (Heliopolis) is glad that the
' enemies of Atem are overthrown ; the heart of the
' goddess Nebt-Ankh rejoiceth because the enemies of her
' lord are destroyed."^

Another very interesting collection of the attributes of
Amen-Ra is found in one of the funerary papyri which were
written for the Princess Nesi-Khensu, at the beginning of
the tenth century before Christ.^ It forms the introductory
paragraph of a very remarkable agreement concluded
between the princess and the god, who undertook to grant
certain favours to her in the Other World in return for the
zeal and devotion which she had shown in her faithful
service of the god. The text reads : " This holy god, the
lord of all the gods, Amen-Ra; the lord of the Throne of
the Two Lands, the governor of Apt ; the holy soul who
came into being in the beginning ; the great god who Hveth

upon Truth ; the First God of primeval time, ^^^^^

^ ® 5^ n^ ' '^^^ produced the Ancient Gods,
2^ ^. S "f^ '^ ' ' ^^^ being through whom every [other]
god hath existence ; the One One i i jj who hath

made everything which hath come into existence since
primeval time when the world was created ; the being
whose birth is hidden, whose evolutions are manifold, whose
growth is incomprehensible ; the holy form, beloved, terrible,
and mighty in his risings ; the lord of space {?), the Power,
Khepera who createth every evolution of his existence,

^ For the text see Marielte, Les Papyrus Egyptiens du Musie de Boulaq^
Plates 11-13, and see the edition by Grebaut, Hymne a Amon-Rd,
Paris, 1875.

^ See Maspero, Les Momies Royales de Deir al-J3ahari, pp. 594 f.

1 1 2 The Papyrus of Ani

except whom at the beginning none other existed ; who at
the dawn of primeval time was Atmu, the prince of light
and splendour ; who having made himself [made] all men
to live ; who saileth over the celestial regions and faileth
not ; whose ordinances are permanent at dawn to-morrow ;
who though an aeed bein"- showeth in the form of one that

O O »^ . .

is young ; who leadeth the uttermost parts of eternity, gomg
round about the celestial regions, and journeying through
the Tuat to illumine the Two Lands which he hath
created ; the god who acteth as God, who fashioned himself,
who made the heavens and the earth by his will (or,
thought) ; the greatest of the great, the mightiest of the
mighty, the Prince who is mightier than the gods, the
young Bull with horns ready to gore ; the Protector of the
Two Lands in his mighty name of ' Everlasting One who
cometh and possesseth his might ' ; who bringeth the
remotest limit of eternity ; the god-prince who hath been
prince from the time that he came into being ; the conqueror
of the Two Lands through his might ; the terrible one of
the double Divine Face ; the divine aged one, the divine
form who dwelleth in the forms of all the gods ; the Lion-
god with the awesome eye, the sovereign who sendeth forth
the two Eyes (the sun and moon), the lord of flame opposing
his enemies ; the god Nu, the prince who advanceth at his
hour to vivify that which cometh forth from his potter's
wheel ; the disk of the Moon-god who openeth a way both
in heaven and upon earth for the beautiful form ; the
beneficent god, the untiring one, vigorous of heart in rising
and in setting ; from whose divine eyes men and women
came forth, at the utterance of whose mouth the gods came
into being, and food is created, and celestial food is made,
and all things [are made] which come into being ; traverser
of eternity, the aged one who reneweth his youth ; who
possesseth myriads of pairs of eyes and innumerable pairs of
ears, whose light is the guide of the god of millions of years ;
the lord of life, who giveth unto whom he pleaseth the circuit
of the earth along with the seat of his divine face ; who
setteth out upon his journey and suffereth no mishap by the
way, whose work none can destroy ; the lord beloved, whose
name is sweet and beloved, unto whom mankind make
supplication at dawn ; the mighty one of victory, the mighty
one of two-fold strength ; the lord who inspireth fear, the

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 1 13

young Bull who maketh an end of the hostile ones, the
mighty one who doeth battle with his foes, through whose
divine plans the earth came into being ; the Soul who

giveth light from his two Eyes ; the god Baiti, J A^ QQ "^ w)'

who createth the divine transformations ; the holy one who
cannot be comprehended, the king who maketh kings to
rule, who girdeth up the earth in its courses ; the god to
whose souls the gods and goddesses pay homage by reason
of the greatness of the terror which he inspireth ; since he
hath gone before that which followeth shall endure ; the
creator of the world by his secret counsels ; god Khepera,
incomprehensible, who is the most hidden of the gods,
whose deputy is the solar disk ; the one incomprehensible,
who hideth himself from that which cometh forth from him ;
the flame which sendeth forth rays of light with mighty
splendour ; who is seen in form and observed at his appear-
ance, yet cannot be understood ; to whom at dawn men
make supplications ; whose risings are like crystal among
the company of the gods, who art beloved of every god ;
who is hidden in the North wind which Nut bringeth
forward ; who maketh decrees for millions of millions of
years, whose ordinances stand fast and are not destroyed,
whose utterances are gracious, whose statutes fail not in
his appointed season ; who giveth duration of life and
doubleth the years of those unto whom he hath a favour,
who graciously protecteth him whom he hath set in his
heart ; who hath formed eternity and everlastingness ; the
king of the South and of the North, Amen-Ra, the king of
the gods, the lord of heaven, and of the earth, and of the
Tuat, and of the two mountains ; in whose form the earth
began to exist, the mighty one, who is pre-eminent among
all the gods of the Great First Company of the gods."

After reading the above extracts it is impossible not to
conclude that the ideas of the ancient Egyptians about God
were of a very exalted character, and it is clear that they
made in their minds a sharp distinction between God and
the "gods." Several passages in the Theban Recension of
the Book of the Dead prove that under the XVIIIth dynasty,
about 1600 B.C., they believed that there was a time when
the god Tem existed by himself, and that it was he who,
by a series of efforts of his mind, created the heavens and

VOL. I. I

114 The Papyrus of Ani

the earth, and orods and men, and every creature which has
life. It was believed that he was self-created and self-
existent, and that he was One Only, i i j] , and the

texts, as will be seen later on, state clearly that there was
none with him, and that he was quite alone when he arrived
at the decision to create the heavens and the earth, and
gods and men. The gods proceeded from his body, and
men from the words of his mouth. Here, then, we have One
God who was self-created, self-existent, and almii^hty, who
created the universe. According to the LXXVIIIth
Chapter of the Book of the Dead, and the other Chapters
of Transformations, he possessed a dual-soul, i.e., a Kiiu
and a Ba, and the element in which these lived was thought
to be the great mass of Celestial Waters which the Egyptians

called Nu, ^^^^ j) • The first act of creation was the

sending forth from Nu of the ball of the sun, i.e., the creation
of light. Temu evolved the thought in Nu, and when the
thought was expressed in a word, or words, the sun appeared
as the result. Every succeeding act of creation represented
a thought of Temu and its expression in words, which
probably took the form of commands. The God of the Sun
was, under the second half of the period of the Ancient
Empire, called Ra, but it is very probable that Ra was
identified with Temu at an early date, and that to the
creature was paid the worship due to the Creator. The
material sun, or the body of the sun, was worshipped as the
source of all heat, and light, and life by many Egyptians,
especially under the political influence of the priests of
Ra at Heliopolis, which began first to assume great
importance towards the close of the IVth dynasty ; but at all
times there must have existed those whose minds were able
to separate the body of the sun from its spirit and soul,
which were the direct emanations of Temu.

The greater number of the Egyptians, like the peoples
of Africa in later times, were well content to admit the
existence of a great, almighty God who created the universe
and all in it, but they seem to have thought, also like
modern African peoples, that he was too great and too
remote to concern himself with the affairs of man, and that
he had committed the management of this world, and of all
in it, to a series of "gods," and spirits, good and evil, whom

Egyptian Ideas about God and the **Gods" 1 15

it was necessary for them to worship or propitiate as the case
might be. It is the existence of these "gods" and spirits
that has caused modern investigators to describe the
Egyptian reHgion as polytheistic, and even pantheistic,
and to find the greatest difficulty in reconciling the
polytheistic phase of it with the monotheistic. And it was
this difficulty which made the eminent theologian Tiele
declare that the religion of Egypt was from the beginning
polytheistic, but that it developed in two opposite directions ;
in the one direction gods were multiplied by the addition
of local gods, and in the other direction the Egyptians drew
nearer and nearer to monotheism.^ The truth of the matter
seems to me to be that the Egyptian religion never wholly
lost the monotheistic element which was in it. It existed
in the earliest times, and it frequently appears in the early
religious texts. It is often observed in the hymns and
texts which represent the teachings of bodies of priests who
emphasize the greatness and importance of the " gods "
which they served, and it was never entirely eliminated.
In the hymns written under the XVIIIth dynasty the
monotheistic element became exceedingly prominent, and,
even before the relitrious troubles which brought about the
downfall of the dynasty began, men worshipped the god
who was One Only with a sincerity and whole-heartedness
hitherto unknown. It cannot, of course, be rightly claimed
that the monotheism of this period was identical with that
which has been evolved by modern Christian nations, but
it was very similar, in my opinion, to the monotheism of the

Hebrews, In fact, the word Neter, \3, is used in
Egyptian religious literature in much the same way as El,
hVi, is used in the Hebrew Scriptures, and also as ITI St^ and
its plural Q'^HT'^^ ,

The difficulty which many students of the Egyptian
Religion have found in their attempts to reconcile the
monotheistic and polytheistic elements in it is due chiefly to
the priests of the various " gods " of Egypt, The priests of
Heliopolis asserted that the Sun-god Ra was the greatest
of all the gods, and that all the other "gods" of his

^ See Geschiedenis van den Godsdienst in de Oudheid, Amsterdam, 1893,
p. 25 ; and Lieblein, Egyptian Religion, Leipzig, 1884, p. 10,

I 2

1 1 6 The Papyrus of Ani

company were forms of him. These " forms " of Ra were
Shu, Tefnut, Keb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.
Now Shu and Tefnut were Sudani deities, the original seat

of whose worship was Bukem, (<^ /^i^ ^. , a country

in the Eastern Sudan, and they were introduced into
Egypt in very early times with the worship of the Stjdant
Cow-goddess HathorJ Keb is a very old Earth-god, on
whose back all the trees and vegetation in the world grew,
yet the priests of Anu make him a form of Ra. At the
time when they were stating in their writings that Osiris
was subordinate to Ra, the worship of Osiris was
predominant throughout Egypt, from Memphis to Northern
Nubia.

In like manner the priests of Ptah of Memphis claimed
that it was their god Ptah who was the creator of the
heavens and the earth, and that the other great gods were
merely forms of him. They were well aware that Tem,
Temu, or Atem, had been regarded as the creator of the
gods and the world and men from time out of mind in
Egypt. Yet they attributed to Ptah powers greater than
his. Their method of procedure was artificial and is readily
explained. They first identified Ptah with old gods like
Tatenn and Tem, and made him a member of their
companies of gods ; when this had been done they invented
stories to prove that his power was greater than that of his
colleagues, and that he was the greatest of all the gods of
the old companies. Finally, they placed him at the head of
a company of gods which consisted of forms of himself.
The best proof of these statements is found in Prof Erman's
paper entitled Ein Denkmal 7)teviphitischer Theo/ogie,^
which contains a discussion on the contents of a text found
on a basalt slab presented to the British Museum by the
Earl Spencer in 1805.^ This text is much mutilated, but

^ See Dr. W. Junker's important paper Der A7issuf!; der Hathor-Tefnut
aus Nubien (in Abhand. der Konigl. Preuss. Akad., Berlin, 191 1).

^ Published in the Siizuti'^sberichie der Konigl. Freuss. Akad., Berlin,
1911.

' See Guide to the Egyptian Galleries., p. 220 (No. 797). It was first
published by Sharpe, Egyptia?i Inscriptions, I, Plates 36-38 ; next by Messrs.
Bryant and Read, in P.S.B.A., 1901, pp. 160 ff. ; and a facsimile was
published by Mr. Breasted in A.Z., Bd. XXXIX, pp. 39 ff., with a sketch of
its contents.

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 1 17

enough of it remains to show that it contains a statement of
Memphite theology as it was understood by some priest,
who flourished probably under the Ancient Empire. The
actual copy which we possess was made in the reign of
Shabaka, from an older copy on papyrus, which was worm-
eaten. This document states that Ptah made Tem and his
gods, and that he was the arbiter of life and death. Every-
thing on the earth came into existence through him, and
everything which is existed before it came into being in the
mind of Ptah, who was the heart and tongue of the company
of the gods. Thus, at the very same time, we have within
twenty miles of each other one body of priests at Anu
assertino- that their ood Ra was the creator of the heavens
and the earth, and another body of priests at Memphis
declaring the same thing of their god Ptah. And if we had
all the religious literature of Egypt at this period we should
no doubt find that the priests of Hensu (Herakleopolis),
and of Khemenu (Hermopolis), and of Abtu (Abydos), and
of Uast (Thebes), and of Behutet (Edfti), and of Suan
(Syene), were claiming the absolute sovereignty of the gods
for Herushefit, Thoth, Osiris, Amen, Horus, and Khernenu
respectively.

The religious texts of all periods contain evidence that
the Egyptians were always occupied in trying to puzzle out
the riddle of creation, and we are fortunate in possessing
a papyrus which contains a more or less connected theory
about the origin of God and the gods, and of the heavens
and the earth. This papyrus was written for a priest called
Nesi-Menu, and is dated on the first day of the fourth
month of the twelfth year of Pharaoh Alexander, the son of
Alexander, i.e., 311 b.c.^ The story of the Creation is
entitled " The Book of knowing how Ra came into being,"

9 O J) , and is told by the

god Nebertcher B^ jj , the Everlasting God of the

Universe. Where and how this god existed is not said,
but it is clear that he was supposed to have created himself
and to be self-existent. The desire to create the heavens

^ The hieratic text is pubUshed in facsimile, with a hieroglyphic text
and English translation, in my Egyptian Hieratic Papyri in the British
Museum, London, 19 lo.

1 1 8 The Papyrus of Ani

and the earth arose in his heart, or mind, and he assumed
the form of the god Khepera W ^^7^ U Jj , who from first

to last was regarded as a form of Nu, or the Creator, par
excellence. At this time nothing existed except the vast
mass of Celestial Waters which the Egyptians called Nu,
'' ' ^^^ S\ , and in this existed the o^erms of all livincr thintjs

that subsequently took form in heaven and on earth, but
they existed in a state of inertness and helplessness. When
Khepera rose out of this watery mass, he found himself in
an empty space, and he had nothing to stand upon.
Khepera came into being by pronouncing his own name,
and when he wanted a place whereon to stand, he first
conceived the similitude of that standing place in his mind,
and when he had given it a name, and uttered that name,
the standing place at once came into being. This process
of thinking out the existence of things is expressed in
Egyptian by words which mean literally "laying the
foundation in the heart," i.e., in the mind. Khepera also
possessed a Ba or Heart-soul, which assisted him in
depicting in his mind the image of the world which was to
be. And he was also assisted in this work by madt, i.e.,
law, order, truth, etc., who acted the part of Wisdom as
described in the Book of Proverbs, chapter viii, verses 22 ff.
Khepera next created the first triad of gods. He had
union with his shadow, and so begot offspring, who
proceeded from his body under the forms of Shu, i.e., air
and dryness, and Tefnut, water and moisture. Shu and
Tefnut were next united, and their offspring were Keb the
Earth-god, and Nut, the Sky-goddess. Keb and Nut were
united, and the offspring of their embraces were Osiris,
Horus, Set, Isis and Nephthys. Of these, Osiris,

ni^n'^'Jr, is "the essence of the primeval matter " of

which Khepera himself was formed. Thus Osiris was of
the same substance as the Great God who created the
world, and was a re-incarnation of his great-grandfather,
a truly African belief This portion of the text helps to
explain the views held about Osiris as the great Ancestor-
god, who when on earth was the great benefactor of the
Egyptians, and who, after his murder and resurrection,
became the saviour of their souls.

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 1 19

In continuing his narrative Neb-er-tcher refers to some
calamity which befell his Eye, i.e., the Sun, and extinguished
its light. It is possible that eclipse or storm is here referred
to, but from the context it seems that the god is referring
to the comincy on of the darkness of nigrht. For he croes on
to say that he made a second Eye, i.e., the moon, to which
he gave some of the splendour of his first Eye. He then
assigned to it a place in his face, from which it ruled over
the earth, having special power in respect of the production
of trees, plants, vegetables, herbs, etc. The next paragraph
deals with the creation of man, who sprang, not from the
earth, but directly from the body of the god Khepera, or
Neb-er-tcher. He joined his members together, and then
wept tears upon them, and men and women came into being
from the tears which fell from his eyes. The creation of
quadrupeds is not specially mentioned, but the god says
that he created creeping things, and quadrupeds are
probably meant to be included among them. Men and
women and all other living creatures which were made by
the god then reproduced their species, each creature in its
own way, and so the earth became filled with their
descendants.

Basing his statements contained in a number of texts
composed or copied at different periods, the late
Dr. Brugsch formulated the following account of the origin
of the gods : In the beginning there existed neither heaven
nor earth, and nothing existed except the boundless mass
of primeval water which was shrouded in darkness, and
which contained within itself the germs and beginnings,
male and female, of everything which was to be in the
future world. The divine primeval spirit, which formed an
essential part of the primeval matter, felt within itself the
desire to begin the work of Creation, and its word woke to
life the world, the form and shape of which it had already
depicted within itself. The first act of creation began with
the formation of an ^^g'g out of the primeval water, from
which emerged Ra, the immediate cause of all life upon the
earth. The almighty power of the divine spirit embodieid
itself in its most brilliant form in the rising sun. When the
inert mass of primeval matter felt the desire of the primeval
spirit to begin the work of creation, it began to move, and
the creatures which were to constitute the future world were

I20 The Papyrus of Ani

formed according to the divine intelligence Mactt. Under
the influence of Thoth, or that form of the divine intelligence
which created the world by a word, eight elements, four
male and four female, arose out of the primeval Nu. which
possessed the properties of the male and female. These
eight elements were called Nu and Nut, Heh and Hehet,
Kek and Keket, and Nen and Nenet ; collectively they
were called " Khemenu," or the " Eight," and they were
considered as primeval fathers and mothers. They appear
in two forms : i . As apes, four male and four female, who
stand in adoration of the sun when he rises, and greet him
with songs and hymns of praise. 2, As human beings,
four having the heads of frogs, and four the heads of
serpents. The birth of light from the waters, and of fire
from the moist mass of primeval matter, and of Ra from
Nu, formed the starting point of all mythological speculations,
conjectures, and theories of the Egyptian priests. The
lieht of the sun rave birth to itself out of chaos, and the
conception of the future world was depicted in Thoth the
divine intelligence ; when Thoth gave the word, what he
commanded at once took place by means of Ptah and
Khnemu, the visible representatives who turned Thoth's
command into deed. Khnemu made the ^<g'g of the sun,
and Ptah gave to the god of light a finished body. The
first company of the gods consisted of Shu, Tefnut, K^h,
Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, Horus, and their governor
Tem, or Atmu.

The reader has now before him the main points of the
evidence concerning the Egyptians' notions about God,
and the cosmic powers and their phases, and the
anthropomorphic creations with which they peopled the
Other World, all of which have been derived from the
native literature of ancient Egypt. The different
interpretations which different Egyptologists have placed
upon the facts demonstrate the difficulty of the subject.
Speaking generally, the interpreters may be divided into
two classes : (i) Those who regard the Egyptian religion
as the product of half-savage men, and think that it is
nothing but a mixture of crude, and often disgusting,
nature cults and superstitions of the most stupid and
childish character. (2) Those who admit the savage
origins of many of the beliefs which the natural conservatism

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 121

of the Egyptians preserved carefully, but who think they
are able to trace a steady development in the religion until
it reached a point at which it possessed true ideas about God
and many of the spiritual conceptions which are on a par
with those of the Hebrews and Arabs, and many Oriental
Christian peoples. The mind of the Egyptian was
incapable of abstract thought in the modern sense of the
word, and in every subject he sought for concrete facts,
which could be expressed in definite statements. From
first to last the texts proclaim the unalterable belief of the
Egyptian in the resurrection and in the immortality of the
soul that was to be enjoyed in a transformed Spirit-body,
in the Kingdom of Osiris, the god who had come upon the
earth " to set right in the place of wrong." None but the
souls of the just could enter that kingdom, and no liar and
worker of deceit could hope to pass the searching trial in
the Judgment Hall and be declared innocent on the day
of the " weighing of words." Being finite, the Egyptian
failed to comprehend the infinite and eternal God, but the
God-man Osiris was ever present in his mind, as the
tombs of all periods testify, and the Egyptian who sang
the hymns and prayed the prayers given in the Book of
the Dead was unlikely to allow his spiritual needs to be
satisfied by a belief in "gods " who ate and drank, loved
and hated, waged war, and grew old and died. And here
we may give a rendering of the ancient Legend of Ra and
Isis, which will illustrate the stories which the Egyptians
told of their gods. The papyrus containing the story is
preserved in Turin, ^ and versions of the story have been
published in English, French, and German.^ The
Legend runs : —

The Chapter of the Divine God, who created
himself, who made the heavens and the earth, and
the breath of life, and fire, and the gods, and
men, and beasts, and cattle, and reptiles, and
feathered fowl, and the fish ; who is the king of
men and gods, the one form, to whom periods of one

^ See Pleyte and Rossi, Papyrus de Turin, Plates 31, 77, 131, 138.

- See Lefebure, A.Z., 1883, pp. 27 ff. ; Wiedemann, Die Religion, p. 29 ;
Budge, First Steps in Egyptian, pp. 241 ff. ; and for summaries of it see
Erman, Aegypten, p. 359, and Maspero, Les Origines, pp. 162-164.

122 The Papyrus of Ani

HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS ARE AS SINGLE YEARS, WHOSE
MULTITUDINOUS NAMES ARE UNKNOWABLE, FOR [eVEN] THE
GODS KNOW THEM NOT.

" Behold, the croddess I sis lived in the form of a
" woman, who had the knowledge of words of power. Her
" heart turned away in disgust from the millions of men,
" and she chose for herself the millions of the gods, but she
" esteemed more highly the millions of the spirits. Was it
" not possible to become even as was Ra in heaven and
*' upon earth, and to make herself mistress of the earth
" and a mighty goddess by means of the knowledge of the
" Name of the holy god ? Thus did she meditate in her
" heart.

" Behold, Ra entered [heaven] each day at the head of
" his mariners, stablishing himself upon the double throne
" of the two horizons. Now the divine one had
" become old, he dribbled at the mouth, and he let his
" emissions go forth from him upon the earth, and his
" spittle fell upon the ground. This Isis kneaded with
" dust in her hand, and she fashioned it in the form of a
" sacred serpent with dart-like fangs, so that none might
" be able to escape alive from it, and she placed it on the
" path whereon the great god was about to travel,
" according to his desire, round about the Two Lands {i.e.,
" Egypt). Then the holy god rose up in the tabernacle of
" the gods in the Great House {i.e., the sky), Life, Strength,
" Health [be to him]! among those who were in his train,
" and [as] he journeyed on his way according to his custom
" daily, the holy serpent drove his fangs into him. The
" living fire [began] to depart from the god's body, and the
" reptile destroyed the dweller among the cedars. Then
" the mighty god opened his mouth, and the cry of His
"Majesty, Life, Strength, Health [be to him]! rang
" through the heavens. The Company of the gods said,
•' ' What is it ? ' and the gods of Ra said, ' What is the
" matter } ' Now the god found [no words] wherewith to
" answer concerning himself, for his jaws shut, his lips
•* trembled, and the poison conquered all his members, just
" as Hapi {i.e., the Nile) conquereth all the land through
" which he Howeth.

" Then the great god made firm his heart, and he cried
" out to the gods who were in his following saying : ' Come

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 123

ye unto me, O ye who have sprung from my members, ye
gods who have proceeded from me, for I wish to tell you
what hath happened. I have been stung by some deadly
thing, of which my heart hath no knowledge, and which
I have neither seen with my eyes nor made with my
hand. I have no knowledge whatsoever of that which
hath done this thing to me. Never before have I felt
pain like unto this, and no pain can be worse than this.
I am a Prince, and the Son of a Prince, I am a divine
emanation, I was produced by a god. I am a Great One,
and the son of a Great One, and my father determined
for me my name. My names are multitudinous, my
forms are manifold, and my being existeth in every god.
I am invoked as Thoth and Heru-Hekenu. My father
and my mother uttered my name, and they hid it in my
body when I was born, so that none of those who would
use against me words of power might succeed in making
their enchantments to have dominion over me. I was
coming forth from my tabernacle to look upon that
which I had made, and was making my way through the
Two Lands (i.e., Egypt), which I made, when I was
stung, but by what I know not. Can it be fire ? Can
it be water ? My heart is full of burning fire, my limbs
are shivering, and in my members are shooting pains.
Let there come to me my children the gods, who possess
words of power, whose mouths are skilled in uttering
them, and whose powers reach to the very heavens.'

" Then his children came unto him, and every god was
there uttering cries of lamentation. And Isis came with
her words of power, and in her mouth was the breath of
life. Now the words which she stringeth together
destroy diseases, and they make to live those whose
throats are stopped up [i.e., the dead) and she said,
' What is this, O divine father ? What is the matter ?
Hath a serpent shot his venom into thee } Hath
anything which thou hast fashioned [dared] to lift up his
head against thee ? Verily, it shall be overcome by
effective words of power, and I will drive it away before
thy light.' The holy god opened his mouth and said,
' I was coming along the road, and was passing through
my country of Egypt, for I wished to look upon what I
had made, when lo ! I was bitten by a serpent. Can it

1 24 The Papyrus of Ani

" be fire ? Can it be water ? I am colder than water.
" I am hotter than fire. All my members sweat, my body
" quaketh, mine eye faileth me, I cannot look at the
" heavens. Water exudeth from my face, as in the time
" of the Inundation.'

" Then Isis said unto Ra, ' O my divine father, tell me
" thy name, for he who is able to pronounce his name shall
" live.' [And Ra said], ' I am the maker of the heavens
" and the earth. I have knit together the mountains, and
*' I have created everything which existeth upon them.
" I am the maker of the waters. I have made Mehturt to
" come into being. I made Ka-en-mut-f, and I have
" created the joys of love. I am the maker of heaven.
" I have made to be hidden the two gods of the horizon.
" I have placed the soul of the gods in them. I am the
*' Being who openeth his eyes and the light cometh ; I am
*' the Being who shutteth his eyes and darkness cometh.
" I am he who commandeth, and the waters of the Nile
" flow forth. I am he whose name the gods know not.
" I am the maker of the hours and the creator of the days.
" I inaugurate festivals. I make the waterflood. I am
" the creator of the fire of life through which the products
" of the workshops come into being. I am Khepera in
" the morning, Ra at mid-day, and Temu in the evening.'
" Nevertheless the poison was not turned aside from its
" course, and the pain of the great god was not relieved.

'• Then Isis said unto Ra : ' Among the words which thou
" hast said unto me there is no mention of thy name. Declare
*' thou to me thy name, and the poison shall leave thee, for
" he who declareth his name shall live.' Meanwhile the
" poison burned like blazing fire, and the heat thereof was
" stronger than that of a fire that burneth brighdy. Then
** the Majesty of Ra said : ' I will permit Isis to search me,
" and my name shall come forth from my body and go
** into hers.' Then the divine one hid himself from the
" gods, and the throne in the Boat of Millions of Years was
" empty. And when the time came for the heart [of the
" god] to come forth, Isis said unto her son Horus : ' The
" great god bindeth himself by an oath to give his two
" Eyes ' (i.e., the sun and moon). Thus was the great
" god made to yield up his name. Then Isis, the great lady
** of words of power, said : ' Flow poison, come out of Ra.

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 125

" Let the Eye of Horus come forth from the god and
" shine (?) outside his mouth. I work, I make the poison
" to fall on the ground, for the venom is conquered. Verily
" the name of the great god hath been taken away from
" him. Ra shall live, and the poison shall die ; if the
" poison liveth then Ra shall die. Similarly so-and-so
" [if he hath been poisoned and these words be said over
" him] shall live, and the poison shall die.' These were
" the words which Isis spake, the great lady, the Queen of
" the gods, and she had knowledge of Ra's own name."

Rubric : The above words shall be said over an imao^e
of Temu, and an image of Heru-Hekenu, and an image
of Isis, and an image of Horus.

APPENDIX

LIST OF THE GODS WHOSE NAMES WERE

RECITED BY THE DECEASED TO PERFECT HIS

SPIRIT-SOUL

The following names form an important section of the
Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead, and the recital
of them, either by the father or son of the deceased, was
obligatory during every festival of Ament. The recital of
them made the deceased a companion of the gods, and
made him dear to the heart of Ra, and conferred upon him
the power to leave the Tuat and to re-enter it at will. The
list presumably gives the names of all the gods who were
officially recognised by the priests of Osiris. The last
section of it, which o-ives the names of all the grreat towns in
which the Cult of Osiris flourished, is interesting as proving
that under the XVIIIth dynasty the recognition of Osiris
as the great Ancestor-god of the whole of Egypt was
complete. The list is taken from the Papyrus of Nu (Brit.
Mus. No. 10477, Sheet 15) : —

. Osiris Khenti Amenti X ffTD "^ \ t ^ \ ^

2. Ra-Heru-Khuti ^^ c^ "^^^

■2 , In U AAAAAA

*^ L J AAAAA/\

^1^^

126 The Papyrus of Ani

4. Maat

5. Boat of Ra

6. Tern

7. Great Company of the Q^^ ^ ^^ j

Gods. o I 11 ^ 1

8. Little Company of the Q "=1^^^^ ^1

1 1

Gods

9. Horus, lord of the Urrt
Crown

10. Shu

11. Tefnut

12. Keb

13. Nut

14. I sis

15. Nephthys

16. Hetkau-Nebtertcher ^

17. Shenat-pet-uthest-neter

18. Aukert-khentt-asts

19. Khebit-saht-neter

^\i

^ 0

o ^

n ^ U I
m n I I I

1 Perhaps we are to read pestchet neteru, " the nine gods," and
paut neterti.

2 The Seven Cows of Chapter CXLVIII.

not

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 127

20. Urmertus-teshcr-sheni

21. Khnemtemankh-anuit

22. Sekhmet-rens-em-abuts

23. The Bull of the Seven r=Qi

Cows

24. Sekhem Nefer

25. Nekhen-semu-taui

26. Khu-herab-het-ashemu

27. Khenti-herab-het-

tesheru

28. Kesta (or Mesta)

29. Hepi

30. Tuamutef

31. Qebhsenuf

32. The Southern Atert

7^7,. The Northern Atert
34. The Sektet Boat

u 1^

AAAAAA

„ AAAAAA

IMS

H H

miTllczs:

'^n

/tg,

A.AAAAA

■=^4^ a Egypt).

-=>S D (Lower
^ ^ a Egypt).

^ The Four Rudders of heaven of Chapter CXLVIII.
2 The Four Sons of Horus.

128

The Papyrus of Ani

35. The Atet Boat

xix ^

36. Thoth

■^']. Gods of the South

38. Gods of the North

39. Gods of the West

40. Gods of the East

41. Gods of the Thigh

(Great Bear)

1
1
1
1
1
1

Ti 111

42. Gods of offerings

43. The Great House

44. The House of Fire

45. The Gods of the Aats

46. The Gods of the Horizon 1 ' [^

I 111 ^i

47. The Gods of the Fields | Ojjjl

48. The Gods of Grain (?) ^ j, ^ l^g

49. The Gods of Fire Ln^^iJl

50. The Roads of the South f] ^" f^ ^ ^

51. The Roads of the North f] "^ f^ ^ ^

52. The Roads of the East f] §; fff f J ^ ^

53. The Roads of the West f] ^ ff^ t V I

54. The Gates of the Tuat

gods

i^Ji I I I

ITDSU I

Egyptian Ideas about God and the "Gods" 129
55.TheJ^ylonsoftheTuat- pj«^-.^-||

56. The Hidden Doors ;^li™\^flis^i

57. The Hidden Gates ^^^^^^^^^Si

58. The^ Jeepers °f *« ^ _^ ^ | , ^ ^ ,

59. The Gates of the Tuat- crzj )k S) 1

gods 111^ ^1

60. The Hidden Faces "^ '^% "^ '

^ n -M> Ji I I

61. Guards of the Roads ""^"^H^^' in fl '

62. The Keepers I^^l^i V ^tJll^

63. The Keepers of the n ^ 1 h-i-h f^^^^^

Cemeteries (?) I'^^^^Jit ^ 111

64. The Fire-gods

65. The Altar-gods kV^iq^TiJI

66. The Opener-gods, who ^ fl 1] ™ 1 ^ k ^ ^ ^

extinoruish nre and

name m Ament "^^^ /[ Wl ^ ff wi !

VOL. I. K

130 The Papyrus of Ani

THE ABODE OF THE BLESSED

In primitive times the Egyptians believed that after
death the souls of those who had spoken the truth upon
earth, and who had committed no act of fraud, deceit, or
double-dealing, made their way by some means or other to
a heaven, and took up their abode with the gods. Where
this heaven was situated they had no idea, and of what it
was like they had no conception, but they formulated vague
views about the unseen and unknown home of their beloved,
and some of these have been preserved in the religious
texts of the later Egyptians which have come down to us.
About one thing they had no doubt at all, namely, that the
spirits of the dead left this earth. Primitive man assumed
naturally that they went up into the sky, and from thence
to some place beyond it. What the sky was exactly he
did not know, but in the earliest times he seems to have
thought that it was formed of a very large flat slab of
a kind of stone or metal called baa, which formed a ceiling
for the earth, and more or less corresponded with it in
general shape. Now such a slab must have something to
rest on, so it was believed that it rested on two mountains,
one in the east and the other in the west. The eastern
mountain was called Bakha, and the western mountain
Manu. How this slab was represented pictorially in early
times cannot be said, but in the oldest hieroglyphic texts
known, the sky is indicated by the hieroglyph f=^, which
seems to be intended for a picture of the slab, very slightly
vaulted, with a projection at each end of it by which it
rested on the mountains of Bakha and Manu. Another
early view was that the slab of the sky rested on four
pillars, which in later texts are represented by I|||. and

when the inventors of the hieroglyphic system of writing
wanted a determinative to indicate a rainstorm or a hail-
storm, with thunder and lightning, they used the sign ^jjff',
i.e., the sky falling down, and the four pillars projecting
through it. The four pillars of the sky in still later times
represented the Four Cardinal Points, and the pillars were
thought to be kept in position by " the four gods who stood

The Abode of the Blessed 131

by them."^ These four gods were the " Children of Horus "
fl V^' ^^^ ^^^^ called Amsetl^ ^v fi^, Hap |^'^.'^=>
Tuamutef :)i(: \\ , and Qebhsenuf PO|,Vi!^.=_. Each

god ruled over one quarter of the world. The reader of
the Book of the Dead will find that in religious literature
generally they appear chiefly as the guardians of the
intestines of the dead, which were mummified separately
and placed in jars commonly called " Canopic." Before we
pass on to other early theories about the sky we may note
that the sun was supposed to emerge from a hole in one
end of the slab of the sky, and to pass under it, lighting
this world as it passed, and to disappear in a hole at the
other end of the slab. The stars were thought to be lamps
which hung from the slab, as the hieroglyph shows ""^^ .
When the moon waned it was thought that a bit of it was
eaten away by the fiend of darkness, and when it dis-
appeared altogether, it was believed that it had been
swallowed by him.

Another very early view was that the sky was the body
of a gigantic woman, and that it was supported by her two
legs and her two arms ^^, which were the four pillars of
heaven. The body of this Sky-woman was sometimes
studded with stars i<i(i<i<:i<. The sun was born each
morning, and passed along her body towards her mouth,
into which it disappeared in the evening to be re-born the
following morning. The night-sky was supposed to be
another woman, and the moon was born, and having passed
along her body disappeared into her mouth. The Sky-
women are well illustrated in the annexed illustration (p. 132),
which is reproduced from Lanzone, Mitologia,\.-aN. 155. Here
we have : i. A woman whose body is decorated with two
winged disks, which probably represent the morning and
evening sun ; she has a Sudani crown of plumes on her
head, and wears armlets and bracelets. 2. A smaller
woman, whose body is decorated with small disks ; on her
hands stands a god whose head touches the hands of the
larger woman. Between the front of the one woman and

Recueil de Travaux, V, p, 27 (1. 233).

K 2

132 The Papyrus of Ani

the back of the other are a large winged disk, and some
indeterminate object, winged. Round about them are
stars. By the shoulders of the smaller woman is the
goddess Nephthys. holding in her hands one of the two
boats in which the sun sailed across the sky, and by the

thicrhs stands the goddess I sis holding the other boat.
3. A god lying on the ground with his arms stretched out
along it, and holding a disk in each hand. His body is
bent round to form a kind of circle, and his feet rest on the
ground. The space enclosed is thought to represent the
region where the dead live.

In an interesting scene on a coffin in the British Museum
(No. 6670, First Egyptian Room) we find the night-sky
depicted in the form of a woman with her arms stretched
out at full length above her head. On her body rest two
yellow disks, which symbolize the moon, and a red disk,
which is intended for the sun. The view that the sky was
a woman was very popular among the Egyptians down to
a comparatively late period, and the religious texts are full
of allusions to the birth of the deceased on the thighs of
a Sky-woman.

Another view represented the sky in the form of a gigantic
cow, her body forming the sky, and her four legs the pillars
of the same. Her legs were held in position by eight gods,
two to each leg, and her body was kept in its place by a

The Abode of the Blessed 133

god who held it up with his upraised arms, T. This cow

gave birth to the sun, which was then likened to a calf, and
the deceased when re-born in the sky was compared to a
sucking calf According to another very old belief the sky
was the face of a man, and the sun and the moon were his
two eyes ; the sun was his right eye ^^ , and the moon his
left ^^ . When a storm came, and thunder-clouds con-
cealed the sun, it was thought that the king of darkness had
done some injury to the right eye, and caused it to shed
tears {i.e., rain). During an eclipse the right eye was
supposed to be temporarily disabled. The moon was
supposed to suffer in a similar manner. Yet another
view held in primitive times was that the sky was a vast
meadow over which a huge beetle crawled, pushing the
disk of the sun before him. This beetle was the Sky-god,
and, arguing from theexample of the h&ei\& [Scar abacus sacer)
which was observed to roll along with its hind legs a ball
that was believed to contain its eggs, the Early Egyptians
thought that the ball of the Sky-god contained his &gg, and
that the sun was his offspring. Thanks, however, to the
investigations of the eminent entomologist, Monsieur J. H.
Fabre, we now know that the ball which the Scarabaeus sacer
rolls along contains not its eggs, but dung that is to serve as
food for its ^'g'g, which it lays in a carefully prepared place.
Later still, the Egyptians came to the conclusion that
the sky was nothing but a vast layer of water, and then
their difficulties in explaining how the sun, moon, and stars
travelled across it disappeared, for they were quite certain
in their minds that the celestial bodies traversed the sky in
boats. The sun possessed two boats called " Mantchet "
and " Semktet," and the moon, planets and principal stars
each possessed a boat. What these boats were made of they
never stopped to inquire, and they seem to have been content
to think that the Boats of Ra were made of some substance
which could not be consumed. From the annexed interest-
ing illustration (p. 134), which is reproduced from the marble
sarcophagus of Seti I, we see that about 1350 B.C. the
Egyptians still believed that the sun rose out of the Celestial
Waters each morning in a boat. This boat is being lifted

out of the water by the god Nu, , and is supported by

the hands of his upstretched arms, which, as the text says.

134

The Papyrus of Ani

" Come forth from the waters, and bear up this god." In
the boat we see the monster beetle already mentioned
pushing the solar disk upwards and into the hands of the
goddess Nut, i.e., the Sky-goddess " who receives Ra,"

D ^

° y 2ffi M '^ ' On the right of the beetle are the goddess

Nephthys, TT , and three gods, and on the left are Isis, r^o,
Ast, or Set, Keb, the Earth-god, ^^, A, i.e., Thoth, (1,
Heka, the god who utters words of power, Hu, \\>, and

Sa, ^^^ . The legend above reads : " This god rests in the
Ant ( = Mantchet) Boat with the gods who are with him."

The Abode of the Blessed 135

In the upper part of the illustration, i.e., in a remote place
among the Celestial Waters, we see the body of a man bent
round backwards in such a way as to form a circle, and the
toes touching the back of the head. This god is, the text
tells us, Osiris, and it is his body which forms the circle of
the Tuat. But what is the Tuat, and what is the meaning
of the name ? Tuat is the name which the Egyptians gave
in primitive times to the region to which the dead departed
after they had left this earth, and the word has been
translated by "Other World," "Hades," "Underworld,"
" Hell," the " place of departed spirits," and the like. The
exact meaning of the word is unknown, and it seems to
have been lost in very early times. No English word or
words will convey the idea which those who first used the
word " Tuat" applied to it, and it must not be translated by
" Underworld," or " Hell," or " Sheol," or "Jehannum," for
each of these words has a special and limited meaning.
On the other hand, the Tuat possessed all the character-
istics which we associate with these words, for it was
" unseen," and dark and gloomy, and there were pits of fire
in it, and it formed the home of hellish monsters, and of the
damned. Speaking generally, we may say that " Other
World " is a fairly accurate rendering of " Tuat." The

oldest form of the name is Tat, c:^:^ "^ "^ , which is found in

the Pyramid Texts. The chief god of the Tuat, or the

personification of the place, was "Tuaut," ^^^ j^wj' ^^d

the gods of it were the " Tuatiu," ^^.^^^ | • Later

forms of the name are ® , ® k\ > > ^ ^^ j-_~, >

1 '7k tV ^

and ^ ^ \\

The early Egyptians thought that Egypt was the world,
and that it was surrounded by a chain of lofty mountains,
like the Gebel Kaf of the Arabs, which was pierced in two
places, one in the east and the other in the west. In the
evening the sun passed through the western hole, and
travelling, not under the earth, but on the same plane and
outside the chain of mountains, it came round to the eastern
hole in the mountains, through which it entered to begin
the new day above the earth. Outside the chain of mountains,

136 The Papyrus of Ani

but quite close to them, was situated the Tuat, and it ran
parallel with them. On the outer side of th^ Tuat was
another chain of mountains, and a river ran between them.
We may say, then, that the T^at closely resembled that part
of the Valley of the Nile which constitutes Egypt, and that
it was to all intents and purposes circular in form. Now as
the T'Jat lay on the other side of the chain of mountains
which surrounded Egypt, and was therefore deprived of the
light of the sun and moon which illumined its skies, it was
shrouded in the gloom and darkness of night, and was
therefore a place of gloom and terror. At each end of the
Tuat was a space which was neither wholly darkness, nor
wholly light, the eastern end being partially lighted by the
rising sun, and the western end by the setting sun. Where
these partially lighted spaces ended "thick darkness," or
" solid darkness," i.e., the " outer darkness," began.

The part of the Tuat that was close to Egypt was
a terrible place, which much resembled the African " bush."
Parts of it were desert, and parts of it were forest, and
parts of it were " scrub " land, and there were no " roads "
through any part of it. Tracks there were, just as there
are in the forests of the Siidan, but it was hopeless for the
disembodied soul to attempt to find its way by means of
them, unless guided by some friendly being who knew the
" ways " of that awful region. Everywhere there was thick
darkness. All the region of the Tuat was inhabited, but
the beings who dwelt there were hostile to all new-comers,
and they could only be placated by gifts, or made sub-
servient to the souls of the dead on their way to the
kingdom of Osiris, by the use of spells, or words of power.
The way was barred, too, by frightful monsters which lived
on the souls of the dead, and at one place or another the
deceased was obliged to cross streams which were fed by
the river in the Tuat, and even the river itself In one
part of this terrible region was situated a district called
" Sekhet Hetepet, i.e., the " Field of Offerings," or the
Elysian Fields, and within this was a sub-district called
"Sekhet Aaru," z.^., the "Field of Reeds"; in the latter
lived the god Osiris and his court. In primitive times his
kingdom was very small, but gradually it grew, and at
length absorbed the whole of the Tuat. He ruled the
inhabitants thereof much as an earthly king ruled men, and

The Abode of the Blessed 137

from first to last there seem to have been in his kingdom
nobles, chiefs, and serfs, just as there were in Egypt.

The desire of every good man in Egypt was to go to the
Kingdom of Osiris, the " Lord of Souls," and, as we learn
from the " Book of the Two Ways," or the " Two Ways
of the Blessed Dead," ^ he might go there by water or by
land. The difficulties which beset him if he went by land
have already been indicated, and if he attempted to go there
by water the difficulties which he would have to encounter
were no less serious. The Egyptians thought that the
Nile which flowed through Egypt was connected with the
river in the Tuat, but to reach the latter the deceased would
have to pass through the two holes in the First Cataract
from which the Nile rose, and then he would have to sail
over streams of fire and of boiling water before he arrived
in port. The banks of these streams were filled with hostile
beings which sought to bar his progress, and lucky indeed
was that soul which triumphed over all obstacles, and
reached the City of God.

The Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead
contains several Chapters dealing with the Kingdom of
Osiris, and from these the following facts are derived. The
CXLIVth Chapter states that there were seven halls or
mansions in Sekhet Aaru, all of which had to be passed
through by the deceased before he could see the god.
Each door of each Arit, or hall, was under the care of three
gods ; the first was the doorkeeper, the second kept a look-
out and acted as watchman, and the third questioned the
traveller who arrived, and reported his arrival and name to
Osiris or his officers. Unless the traveller could tell each
god his name, he was not permitted to enter the Arit
guarded_ by the three gods. The names of the gods of the
Seven Arits (Papyrus of Nu) were : —

Arit I.

DOORKEEPI-.R,

Sekhet-herashtaru ;

Watcher,

Smetu ; Herald,

HUKHERU.

Arit II.

Tunhat;

„

Seqether ; ,,

Sabes.

Arit III.

Unemhuatentpehuif;

„

Resher; ,,

Uaau.

Arit IV.

■'

Khesefherashtkheru

Resab; ,,

Neteqaher-
khesefatu.

Arit V.

Ankhemfentu ;

'•

Ashebu ; ,,

Tebher-
kehaat.

Arit VI.

'•

Akentaukhakheru ;

••

Anher ; ,,

Metesher-

ARISHE.

Akit VII.

'•

Metessen;

Aakheru; ,,

Khesefher-

KHEMIU.

^ See the version published by Schack-Schackenburg, Das Buck von den
Zwei IVegen des Seligen Toten (Leipzig, 1903), from a cofifin at Berlin.

138 The Papyrus of Ani

From another Chapter in the same Papyrus (CXLVI)
we learn that the Secret Gates of the House of Osiris in
Sekhet Aaru were ten in number, and the names of the
Gates and of their keepers were : —

Gate I. Nebt-setau-qat-sebt-hert-nebt-khebkhebt-

SERT-METU-KHESFET-NESHNIU-NEHMET-AUAI-
EN-I-UAU.

Gatekeeper. Neri.
Gate II. Nebt-pet-hent-taui-nesbit-nebt-tememu-
tent-bu-nebu.
Gatekeeper. Mes-peh or Mes-Ptah.
Gate III. Nebt-khaut-aat-aabet-senetchmet-neter-
neb-ams-hru-khent-er-abtu.
Gatekeeper. Ertatsebanqa.
Gate IV. Sekhmet-tesu-hent-taui-hetchet-khefti-
nu-urt-ab-arit-saru-shut-em-au.
Gatekeeper. Nekau.
Gate V. Khet-nebt-rekhu-resht-tebhet-tatu-nes-

AN-AQ-ERES-UN-TEP-F.

Gatekeeper. Hentirequ.
Gate VI. Nebt-senket-aat-hemhemet-an-rekhtu-qas-

ER-USEKH-S-AN-QEMTU-QET-S-EM-SHAA-AU-
HEFAU-HER-S-AN-REKH-TENNU-MES-ENTHU-

kher-hat-urtu-ab.
Gatekeeper. Smamti.
Gate VII. Akkit- hebset-bak- Aakhebit-mert-sehap-
khat.
Gatekeeper. Akenti.
Gate VIII. Rekhet-besu-akhmet-tchafu-sept-pau-khat-

TET-SMAM-AN-NETCHNETCH-ATET-SESH-HER-

SEN-SENT-NAH-S.

Gatekeeper. Khutciietf.
Gate IX. Amt-hat-nebt-user-iiert-ab-mestet-neb-s-

KHET-SHAA- -EM - SHEN -S - SATU - EM -

UATCIIET -SHEMA-THESET- BES- HEBSET-BAK -
FEQAT-NEB-S-RX-NEB.

Gatekeeper. Tchesef.
Gate X. Qat-kheru-neiieset-tenatu-sebhet-er-qa-

en - kheru - s - nert- nebt- shefsheft- an -

tern-s-netet-em-khennu-s.
Gatekeeper. Sekhenur.

The Abode of the Blessed 139

Some papyri add four, or six, or eleven other Gates to
the above series of ten, but though they give their names in
full they do not supply the names of their keepers. The
original number of the Gates appears to have been ten. It
will be noted that the name of each Gate consists of an
address to it, in which many honorific titles occur, and that
the name is really a many-worded spell.

From another Chapter (CXLIX) we learn that Sekhet
Aaru was divided into Fifteen Aats, or Regions, each of
which was presided over by a god. The First Aat was
called " Amentet," and the dwellers therein lived on the
offerings which were made to them ; the god who ruled it
was Menuqet. The Second Aat was called " Sekhet
Aaru," and the walls which surrounded it were made of the
material which forms the sky {bad). Its god was Ra Heru-
Khuti, and the inhabitants thereof were Spirit-souls who
were nine cubits high. The wheat and the barley which
grew there were five and seven cubits high respectively.
This Aat seems to have been the centre of the Kingdom of
Osiris. The Third Aat was called the Aat of the Spirit-
souls, and was a place of blazing fire; it was ruled over by
Ra or Osiris. The Fourth Aat was called " Tui-qaui-
aaui," and its extent was 300 measures by 230 measures.
Its ruler was the monster serpent *' Sati-temui," which was
seventy cubits long, and which lived by slaughtering the
Spirit-souls and the dead who were in the Tuat. There was
another serpent in this Aat called '* Akriu," and it appears
to have been an enemy of Ra. The Fifth Aat was
inhabited by Spirit-souls whose thighs were seven cubits
long ; they lived upon the shadows of the helpless and
weak. They owed fealty to Osiris, for the deceased adjured
them in the name of Osiris, the Great Spirit-soul, to let
him pass over their roads. The Sixth Aat was called
" Amhet," and was ruled by a god in the form of a worm
called " Sekher At." It was a place sacred to the gods,
but was a region of mystery to the Spirit-souls, and was
unsuitable for the dead. The Seventh Aat was called
Ases, and was situated in a remote place, full of fire. The
lord of this Aat was a serpent, with a back seven cubits long.
It was gifted with the evil eye, and it first fascinated Spirit-
souls and then destroyed them. It had a mortal enemy
in the Lynx-goddess Maftet, which bit off its head. No

140 The Papyrus of Ani

soul wished to meet it, or to come in its way, and only the
words of power which a soul possessed enabled it to escape
death through its venom. The Eighth Aat. This Aat
was called " Hahetep," and it was under the rule of a god

called " Qa-hahetep," T fD '^^ ^ , and it appears to have

contained an underground canal which was connected with
this earth ; at one part of it was a sort of well, and the
noise made by the waters as they entered it, and their
roar as they rushed out was greatly terrifying. One
creature was able to pass over this region, namely the
Ennur bird, with which the deceased identified himself
In this Aat he was obliged to make offerings to the " lords
of offerings," otherwise the fiends would carry him off to
the block where the sacrifices to the gods were slaughtered.
The Ninth Aat was called " Aksi," and not even the gods
knew exactly where it was. It was ruled over by the
" holy god who dwelt in his Ggg," and who terrified both
gods and Spirit-souls ; no one could enter or leave the
region without this god's consent. At the entrance to the
Aat was a mighty fire, the heat, fumes, and vapours of
which destroyed the nostrils and mouths of any who tried
to pass through it ; only the god of the Aat could breathe
its air with impunity, or those who formed his bodyguard.
The souls who wished to pass through this Aat without
being consumed were obliged to make obeisance to the
god, and then to obtain permission to become one of his
bodyguard. The Tenth Aat was likewise a region of
terror, and it was ruled over by a god who carried
a butcher's knife in each hand, and bore a serpent on his
head. Among the vSerpent-gods who lived here were the
awful beings Nau and Nehebkau, and they fed upon the

Spirit-souls and the shadows T ^ of the dead. The deceased

was obliged to make offerings to these gods, to burn myrrh,
and to slaughter animals, and even so he could not pass
through the Aat unharmed unless I sis and Nephthys were
his companions. The Eleventh Aat was in Khert-Neter,
and its chief town was called " Atu." Its ruler had the
form of a jackal-headed man, and he was armed with two
slaughtering-knives. The Aat was situated among hills,
or on a hill with terraces. The deceased who wished to

The Abode of the Blessed 141

pass through this Aat armed himself with the knife where-
with Horus mutilated Set, and against this weapon no other
weapon could prevail. Even so, the deceased was obliged
to declare that he was Ra, and that his strength was due to
the Eye of Horus. It will be remembered that when Osiris
had been mummified, and when his body was still without
life, Horus brought his Eye, which he had taken out of
the possession of Set, and gave it to his father to eat.
Osiris swallowed the Eye, and immediately he became
a living being. The deceased also took the form of the
Smen goose, the cackling of which pleased the gods, and
he rose like a god, being filled with the divine food of the
Field of Offerings. Then was he able to set up a ladder,
and to climb up by its means to the place where the gods
and the imperishable stars were, and his speech became
like that of the beings who dwell in the star Sept (the
Dog-star, or Sothis). The Twelfth Aat was close to
Rasta, and its chief town was called " Unt." It also was
a place full of fire, and the souls of the dead were unable to
approach it by reason of the uraei which attacked all comers.
The Thirteenth Aat. This Aat was also a region of
fire, and the streams which flowed through it were of
boiling water. It was a place which caused the Spirit-souls
great trouble, for though they wished to drink and quench
their thirst they were unable to do so, because of the fear
with which the fire inspired them. The god who presided
over the region was a hippopotamus, which we see repre-
sented with one forefoot resting on a beetle. His name
appears to be Hebt-re-f, and he was the symbol of the
celestial river of which the Nile was the continuation on
earth. The deceased could only gain power over the
waters of this region by the help of this god, whose chief

place of abode in it was called " Uart-ent-mu " ^ ^^^aaa.

The Fourteenth Aat is called " Kheraha," and it appears
to have been a region through which a great canal flowed,
and to have contained many lakes. The name suggests
that the Aat was the celestial equivalent of the region
which lay between the Nile and the ancient city of Helio-
polis. There appears to be in the text that describes
this Aat an allusion to a great canal which was fed directly
from the Nile, and flowed through the whole district until

142 The Papyrus of Ani

at lenofth it reached the sfreat canal which flowed into the
Bitter Lakes. The modern equivalent of the canal of
Kher-aha was the great Khalig Canal, at the mouth of
which the famous ceremony of "cutting the dam" was
performed annually. Somewhere near the mouth a bride
was offered to the Nile-god annually. The allusion to the
Serpent-god who guarded the two caverns at Elephantine,
through which the Nile-god poured his waters into Egypt,
and to the town of Tetu (Busiris) proves that we are here
dealing with one of the principal domains of Osiris.

In the great papyri of the Book of the Dead, according
to the Theban Recension, we find detailed pictures of the
Field of Offerings and the Field of Reeds, wherein the
followers of Osiris hoped to enjoy a life of everlasting bliss.
As these regions have been described in connection with
the Vignette of Chapter CX (see Vol I, pp. 107 ff.), and
a translation of the text of the Chapter has also been given
in the Second Volume, there is no need to discuss them
further here.

In addition to the Chapters already mentioned, there
are other sources of information about the Tuat or Other
World of the Egyptians, and of these the principal works
are the " Book of him that is in the Tuat," and the
" Book of Gates. "^ The Book Am Tuat, or Ami Tuat,
describes the journey which the Sun-god makes through
the Tuat, after he has set upon this world. As the
Sun-god approaches the ante-chamber or vestibule of the
Tuat in the west, the gods who are in charge of his boat
steer directly for the entrance to the Tuat. The Sun-god
takes the form of a man-headed ram, and stands within a
shrine, in other words, he takes the form of Osiris, so that
he may pass safely through the Kingdom of the dead,
which is ruled by Osiris. In this form the Sun-god is called

Af Ra (jJ^O, "flesh of Ra," i.e., the dead body of

Osiris. As he approaches, the Ape-gods and the other
gods and goddesses sing praises to him, and serpents
belch forth fire, which provides the light that enables his
Pilot-gods to steer his boat. The doors which bar the way
are thrown open by the gods, and Af Ra proceeds on his way

1 See my editions of the Book Am Tuat, the Book of Gates, and the
Egyptian Heaven and Hell, London, 1905.

The Abode of the Blessed 143

over the waters of the river of the Tuat. The Hght from
the boat wakes the dead who are there to hfe, and the air
which Af Ra carries with him enables them to live acjain
for an hour. Every being that ministers to the god, and
every creature in this section of the Tuat receive meat
and drink by the command of Af Ra. The dead whom he
finds here are souls who for some cause or other have
failed to find their way to the realm of Osiris, and they are
only saved from utter destruction by the light, air, and food
which they receive from Af Ra. When the god reaches
the entrance to the Second Section of the T^at, the goddess
of the Hour and the other gods of the section leave him,
and return to their places to await his arrival on the
foUowino- nicrht.

The Second Section of the T^at is called " Urnes "
"^^^t —<*— , as is also the river which flows throuo-h it. It

lay to the north of the ante-chamber already described,
and was situated in the domain of Osiris Khenti Amenti,
which included the territory of Abydos. The Boat of
Af Ra is now accompanied by the boats of Osiris and his
attendant gods, and when it arrives in Urnes the god
addresses the inhabitants of the district, who are called
" Baiu TiJatiu," or " Souls of the Tuat," and orders them to
receive from him food, light, and air in return for their
labours which they have performed on his behalf. Af Ra
destroys the serpents Hau and Neha-her, and the gods

lead him into the Field of the Grain-gods IJ^lJ^q a '^ Jj,

where for a time he rests. Here Af Ra held converse
with the Souls of Urnes, and he received the prayers of
the living on behalf of the dead, and noted the offerings
which were made by them. The pictures of this section
of the Tuat and the descriptive texts were believed to
possess special efficacy, and copies of them are tolerably
numerous ; they benefited the souls of the dead, and
protected the bodies of those who had them made on earth.
In Urnes only the followers of Osiris and Ra were to
be found.

The Third Section of the Tuat is called " Net-
nebuakheperaut," and is a continuation of the Kingdom of
Osiris ; in it is the House of the Tet, wherein Osiris
himself dwells. The Boat of Af Ra is escorted over the

144 The Papyrus of Ani

AA^'AAA A/NAAAA

waters of the river Net-Asar ^^^^^^ u by a number

of boats which are specially created by Osiris, and
arrives at the head of the stream on which the throne
of Osiris is placed. Here the god sits surrounded by his
followers who are described as " Baiu Shetaiu," or "hidden
souls." The banks of the stream are lined with gods who
have been told off by Osiris to minister to the wants of
Af Ra and to make his boat to travel in safety through
the region. The duties of the servants of Osiris in
this section may be thus described : I. They protect
Nu, the god of the great celestial ocean from which rose
the river which on earth was known as " Hap," or the
Nile, from the attacks of the legion of devils called
" Seba." These devils were the active servants of Set,
the god of chaos, darkness, and destruction, and they
endeavoured to prevent the Nile from rising at its
appointed time, and tried by every means in their power
to fetter its waters during its annual inundation. At times
Seba succeeded in arresting the inundation, and then
Egypt was attacked by famine. 2. They hack souls in
pieces, they imprison the shadows of the dead. They
carry out the death sentence on those who are doomed to
be destroyed in a place of fire, and they make and maintain
the fires by which such beings are to be consumed. The
" souls " and " shadows " here referred to must belong to
the dead who have reached this place, but who through
sin committed upon earth, and through the lack of
offerings made to them upon earth, have failed to find
nourishment and have perished in consequence. With
them, too, are joined the souls which have been condemned
in the Judgment by Osiris, and the souls of those who
have rebelled against Ra. The execution and the burning
of the damned take place soon after midnight each day,
and thus the Kingdom of Osiris is cleared of the wicked,
and the Boat of Af Ra can pursue its course unhindered
by them. In return for these services the gods receive
daily rations from their god, and they rejoice so greatly
in his light, that as soon as he leaves their region in
darkness, they begin to weep and lament, and to sigh
for his return on the following day.

From the Kingdom of Osiris the Boat of Af Ra passes
northwards to the Fourth Section of the Tuat, or the realm

The Abode of the Blessed 145

of Seker ^^^n:^ Ji , an ancient Death-god, who is probably-
far older than Osiris, and whose territory lay a little
to the south of Memphis. Here serious difficulties
awaited Af Ra, for there was no river in Ra-stau, the
kingdom of Seker, and his boat was therefore useless.
Here the half-light of the Kingdom of Osiris was
exchanged for the blackest darkness, and the fertile fields
and the streams of the Field of Offerings were exchanged
for rocks, and mountains, and deserts, filled with winged
serpents, and serpents with two or three heads, and
monsters of most terrifying aspect. Af Ra is, however,
bound to traverse these on his way northward, and
compelled by his words of power the gods of Ra-stau take
him out of his own boat, and lead him by way of
subterranean corridors and galleries in the rock through,
or rather above, the awful Kingdom of Death. The
vehicle in which he travels is no longer a boat, but is the
body of a serpent, which glides easily through the
passages of the rock. Very few gods attend him on his
journey, but among them are Thoth, Horus, and the
servants of Anpu. Each passage has several doors in
it, and everywhere are servants of Seker in the form of
rnonster serpents which, apparently unwillingly, assist
Af Ra on his way. At no part of the journey does
Af Ra meet Seker, and the dead Sun-god takes care to
avoid that portion of Ra-stau where Death sits in majesty,
with deadly serpents and monsters about him. The
sanctuary of Seker, as we see from the pictures of the
Fifth Section of the Tuat, is enclosed by a wall of
sand. This god is in the form of a man but has a hawk's
head and a pair of wings, which emerge from the back
of a two-headed serpent. The shrine of Seker is
pyramidal in form, and is filled with the blackest darkness.
As Af Ra passes it, the Beetle of Khepera enters his
boat, and the revivification of the dead Sun-god begins.

This part of Ra-stau is called Amhet AU ^^ — °? "^ , and

here is situated the stream of fire, or boiling water, in
which were burned, or boiled, those who had incurred the
displeasure of Seker. A company of the gods and a
goddess presided over this place, and it was their duty
to carry out the executions decreed by the gods. Each

VOL. I. L

146 The Papyrus of Ani

god was provided with a block of slaughter, on which he
hacked the dead to pieces, and this done he cast the pieces
into the fire which he produced from his own body ;
the goddess lived partly on the blood of the dead, and
partly on rations decreed to her by the gods. We may
note in passing, that no provision for the beatified
existed in the kingdom of Seker, and it seems as if the
priests of this ancient god assumed that with his death a
man came to an end eternally.

Meanwhile the Boat of Af Ra moves on, assisted by
the gods of the dead of Seker, and at length it reaches the
waters which existed on the northern boundary of his
kingdom. Here the god leaves his serpent-boat, and
re-enters his river-boat, which by some means has been
transported to the entrance of the Sixth Section of the
Tuat. The Sixth Section of the Tuat lies to the north of
the realm of Seker, and Afu Ra traverses it in a boat. It
is called Metchet-mu-nebt-Tuat, and contains the abodes
of the dead kings of Egypt and of the Khu, or Spirit-
souls. As Afu Ra passed through it he saluted all the
dwellers there and besought them to slay Aapep for
him ; in return for their services he decreed them offerings
in abundance. In the pictures of this section, we see
Afu Ra lying on the back of the five-headed serpent
Ash-heru, which has its body bent over him to protect
him. On the head of the god is the Beetle of Khepera,
symbol of resurrection. At this point in his journey,
Afu Ra begins to travel towards the east, and to direct
his course to the Mountain of the Sunrise, i.e., Bakhau

Jl^^^^v*^^^ V ■ Hitherto, he has been travelling
from south to north. All the gods of this section assist
Afu Ra on his way, and the monster serpent Unem-Khu
devours the shadows of the dead and the spirits of the
enemies of the Sun-god. Among them are the Four
Sons of Horus, who spring into being from the back of
Unem-Khu as soon as they hear the voice of Af Ra, and
the Four Forms of Osiris, and the Nine Serpents, which
represent the gods Tathenn, Temu, Khepera, Shu, Keb,
Asar (Osiris), Horus, Afu, and Hetepui.

The Seventh Section of the Tuat is called " Thephet-
shetat," or the " Hidden Region," and it is a continuation

The Abode of the Blessed 147

of the " secret road of Amenti," on which Afu Ra began
to travel in the Sixth Section. The face of Afu Ra is now
turned in the other direction, and his crew is strengthened
by the addition of Isis and Ser, or Semsu. His boat has
now to travel through a region of swamps and shallows, and
the path of the god is obstructed by the serpent Aapep or
Neha-her, which lies on a sand-bank 450 cubits long.
The goddess Serqet and the god Herthesuf drive their
knives through his body, and fetter his tail and head, and
so the boat of Afu Ra moves onward. He passes the
tombs of the Form of Tem, the Form of Khepera, the
Form of Ra, and the Form of Osiris, and he sees on the
posts of the tombs the heads of those who were buried in
the foundations when these tombs were built. These
heads appear when they hear the voice of Afu Ra, and
they disappear as soon as he has passed. The boat of
Afu Ra is helped onward by the twelve gods and twelve
goddesses of the Hours, and it passes the monster crocodile
Abshe-am-Tuat, which lies over the tomb of Osiris.
Further on is Afu Asar seated on a throne watching the
destruction of his enemies through decapitation by the
Lynx-goddess Maftet ; numbers of them are bound in
chains held in the hands of the god Anku.

When Afu Ra enters the Eighth Section of the Tuat,
which is called " Tebat-neterus," he is towed by a company
of gods. He sees the Four Forms of Tathenn, which
are preceded by the bodyguard of Ra, and he passes a
series of Circles wherein dwell gods. Those on the
right are Hetepjetnebs, Hetemet Khemiu, Hapsemus,
Sehertbaius, and Aatsetekau ; the door's name is Tesamen-
mitemshetaf The Circles on the left are Sesheta, Tuat,
Asneteru, Aakebi, and Nebtsemunifu ; the door's name is
Teskhaibitutuatiu. As Afu Ra passes, he addresses words
to the gods of the Circles, and the doors fly open, and
they reply to the god with sounds like the mewing of male
cats, the hum of the living, the cry of the hawk, the
screams of waterfowl in their nests, the hum of bees,
the noise of weeping, the sounds made by bulls, and
shrieks of terror.

The boat of Afu Ra moves through the Ninth
Section of the Tuat, which is called " Bestaruankhet-
kheperu," without the aid of towing or rowing gods.

L 2

148 The Papyrus of Ani

The god is in the form of the serpent Mehen, and he
is accompanied by twelve Sailor-gods, who sing to him,
and scatter water with their paddles on the beings who
line the banks. The path of the god is lighted by
twelve uraei, who pour out fire from their mouths, and
at the end of the section Afu Ra passes the field-
labourers, who cultivate the fields of Osiris under the
direction of Horus, Governor of the Lake of the Tuat,
and the Twelve Taskmasters of Osiris (the Tchatchau),
and the twelve goddesses, who weave the linen garments
which are required in the section.

The Tenth and Eleventh Sections of the Tuat
are called " Metchetqatutchebu" and " Reenqerrtiptkhatu,"
and form part of the kingdom of the Sun-god of Anu,
or Heliopolis, and a part of the Eastern Delta. The
beings who dwell in the Tenth Section have two
duties to perform: i. to slay the enemies of Afu Ra and
to destroy their bodies, and 2. to help in the recon-
struction of the disk of the sun, which was to appear
in the sky of this world that day. The boat of Afu
Ra now passes over a series of lakes, which seem to
represent the lagoons of the Eastern Delta, in which
we see a number of forms of men, in the various attitudes
which human bodies assume as they are drowning. As
Afu Ra passes over these lagoons, Horus addresses the
men drowned in them and assures them that " their
members shall not perish, nor their flesh decay," but he
makes no promise to bring them up, and to give them
a renewed existence on dry land. This section contains
many magical serpents, as well as gods and goddesses,
and the mystic sceptre, and they all help Afu Ra
onward in his course.

The boat of Afu Ra makes its way through the
Eleventh Section, lighted by a disk of light, encircled
by a serpent, which rests on the prow ; this disk is
called " Pestu." The tow-rope of the boat is formed
of the body of the serpent Mchen, Afu Ra first passes
the Red and White Crowns, and then arrives in the
territory of the town of Sais, where the god meets the
Four Forms of the goddess Neith. Afu Ra next passes
the two-headed god Aperhernebtchet, who wears two
crowns, and the mystical forms of the body and soul of

The Abode of the Blessed 149

Temu, and the body and soul of the Star-god Shetu.
The region to the left of the god is one of fire, and in
it, but quite close to the boat, stands Horus, who is
working magic with the snake-headed boomerang which
he holds in his hand. Before him is the serpent called
" Set-heh," i.e., the "eternal Set." Horus is superin-
tending the destruction of the bodies, souls, shadows, and
heads of the enemies of Ra, which is being effected in the
pits of fire before him. The fire in the pits is supplied
from the bodies of the goddesses who are in charge of
them. In the first pit, the victims are immersed in the
fiery depths head downwards. When Afu Ra arrives at
the last of the pits, his journey through the Tuat
proper is ended, and it only remains for him to pass
through the ante-chamber to the east of it, in order to
arrive at the sky of this world. In his journey he has
traversed the Tuat of Thebes, the Tuat of Osiris of
Abydos, the Tuat of Seker of Memphis, the Tuat of
Neith of Sais, the Tuat of Bast of Bubastis, and the
Tuat of Tem of Anu, or Heliopolis, and he has followed
a course which first went from south to north, then to the
east, and finally towards the Mountain of the Sunrise.
Afu Ra has now reached the "uttermost limit of thick
darkness," and arrives at the Twelfth Section of the
Other World, which is called " Kheperkekiukhaumestu."
This section contains the great mass of Celestial Waters
called Nu, and the goddess Nut, who is here the
personification of the god of the morning. We see
Afu Ra in his boat as before, and in front of it is the
Beetle of Khepera, under whose form the new sun_ is to
be born. Before the boat is the great serpent Ankli-
neteru, and twelve dmkkiu-gods, taking hold of the
tow-line, enter this serpent at the tail, and, drawing the
god in his boat through the body of the serpent, bring
him out at his mouth. During his passage through the
serpent Afu Ra is transformed into Khepera, and the
drnkkiu-gods are also transformed, and emerge with him
from the serpent, and minister to him all the day. Afu
Ra, in the form of Khepera, is now towed into the
sky by twelve goddesses, who lead him to Shu, the
god of the atmosphere and sky of this world. Shu
receives Khepera, and places him in the opening in the

150 The Papyrus of Ani

semicircular wall which forms the end of this section,
and people on this earth see him in the form of a
disk of light. Afu Ra, in the form of a disk of light,
has no further use for his mummified form in which he
traversed the Tuat, and we see it cast aside, and lying
aofainst the rounded end of the Tuat. As the disk
appears in the sky, the newly-born god of day is
acclaimed by gods and goddesses, who destroy any and
every enemy who appears in the presence of the god,
and sing hymns to him. It was assumed that the souls
who travelled with Afu Ra through the Tuat underwent
the same transformations as he did, and were re-born on
earth with him.

We may now consider the other Guide to the Tuat
which was much used by the followers of Osiris under the
XVIIIth and XlXth dynasties. This Guide may be called
the " Book of Gates," because the most important features
of the Tuat according to this work were the Gates and their
guardians. In the First Section, i.e., the Western Vesti-
bule, the Sun-god of night is seen in the form of a beetle
within a disk, which is surrounded by a serpent with volumi-
nous folds ; he rests in his boat and is accompanied by the
gods Sa and Heka, i.e., the personifications of knowledge and
the word of power. The section is called " Set Amentet "
rv>^>-/i (1 ^^ ^, and its guardian gods are Set and Tet.

On each side of the boat are twelve gods, one group being
"gods of the mountain," and the other, "gods of the
mountain of the Hidden Land." The "gods of the mountain "
are the offspring of Ra himself, and they came into being
from his eye.

The Second Section of the Tuat is guarded by the

serpent Saset — •»— ^^ ^ ^ '. and when the Sun-god of
night enters it he takes the form of a ram-headed man ; the
Serpent-goddess Mehen envelops his shrine, and his boat is
towed by four gods, who are the gods of the four quarters
of the earth. The work which Afu Ra does in this Section
of Amenti is to " weigh words and deeds," to judge between
the great and litde gods, " to assign thrones to the spirits,
" and to banish the damned to the place which is set apart
" for them, and to destroy their bodies." From this text it
is clear that a judgment of the dead took place in Amenti,

The Abode of the Blessed 151

and that It was independent of the Judgment of Osiris.
The gods who assist at the judgment of Afu Ra Hve on the
spirits of the offerings which are made to them upon earth,
and those who made these offerings acquired merit before
the god. The beings in this section are divided into two
classes, the good and the wicked, the former being ranged
to the right of the god, and the latter on his left. The
good are divided into two classes, the Heteptiu and the
Maatiu. The former made offerings to Ra regularly when
they were upon earth, and they praised him, and they
recited curses upon Aapep the Arch-enemy of Ra ; in
return for these acts of piety Ra decrees that offerings shall
be made to them in perpetuity, and that their souls shall
never be destroyed. The Maatiu are so called because they
were speakers of the truth upon earth, and because they
were not in the habit of committing acts of fraud and deceit.
Moreover, they had had no intercourse with the neterit

'^[1(1^^1, a word which seems to mean "contemptible

gods," i.e., gods which were disapproved of by Ra. As
a reward for their veracity and orthodoxy they lived upon
maat food, i.e., truth, and thus they became truth personified.
They had access to an abundant supply of cold water, but
if any sinful soul attempted to drink this water it turned into
" fire water," i.e., boiling water, and the soul was scalded.
The wicked who stand to the left of Afu Ra have their arms
tied at the elbows behind their backs, and that they are suffer-
ing great agony is evident from their bowed backs ; four of
the wicked lie dead near their companions. These beings
are charged with blasphemy against Ra, with having cursed
him, and with having uttered abuse of Khuti, the Sun-god
on the horizon ; besides this they thrust aside the right.
These " Stau," or apostates, were condemned to fetters for
an indefinite period, and then their bodies were to be cut to
pieces and their souls annihilated. The texts which describe
this section of the Tuat prove beyond all doubt that those
who were righteous upon earth received good gifts and
eternal life in the Tuat, and that the wicked were punished
with tortures and destruction. The making of propitiatory
sacrifices and offerings is distinctly encouraged, and the
texts prove that such were of great value both to the
dwellers in the Tuat and to their kinsfolk upon earth.

152 The Papyrus of Ani

The Third Section of the Tuat is approached through

is guarded by the

a gate called " Septt-Uauau "
i.e., " provided with flames," whic

serpent Aqbi "^^^J ufl ^=^- Afu Ra passes through this
gate unharmed, for at the word of Sa the flames turned
aside, and the warders withdrew their opposition. Afu Ra
next passes through the " Boat of the Earth," which is in
the form of a long tunnel with a bull's head at each end of
it. It is supported by eight gods, and guarded by seven
gods who sit upon it, and it was the abode of the Earth-god

3 . Afu Ra next passes the twelve shrines of the holy

gods, and at his word their doors fly open, and they salute him ;
in return for this Afu Ra gives them food and air, and when
he has passed the doors close again, and the gods inside
lament and bewail his departure. A little further on are
twelve gods who are partially immersed in the Lake of
Boiling Water, the stench of which is so strong that birds
betake themselves to flight as soon as they see this Lake.
The description of this Lake given in the text recalls the
words of Diodorus Siculus (II, 48 ; XIX, 48) about the
a(T(f)aXTlTLs }^LfM7)v, and suggests that the writer had in mind
the hot sulphur springs which exist in some parts of the
Sudan, or the hot springs of the Oasis of Khargah. The
quaint costume of the gods suggest that they were foreigners.
Before each god is a ke7ntet plant, which was used in making
beer, and Afu Ra decrees to him a regular supply of bread
and vegetables. Three serpents now attempt to block the
way of Afu Ra. The first of these, Aapep, collapses as the
result of the utterance of a word of power by Temu, and
lies spell-bound. The Tchatchau gods smash his head,
and make gashes in his body. The serpents Seba and Af
are attacked by the gods Nebu-khert, and they likewise
are spell-bound, and reduced to helplessness. All these
gods live upon the same food as Ra, but they also partake
of the spirits of the offerings which are made to Khenti
Amenti, a very ancient god of the dead who was worshipped
at Abydos. As Afu Ra leaves this Section the Tchatchau
and the other gods lament, and return to its entrance to
await the arrival of the god on the following night. In this

The Abode of the Blessed 153

Section we find no place for the dead or for the souls of
human beings.

The Fourth Section of the Tuat is protected by a

Gate which is called " Nebtstchefau " -^^ ^ . >

and is guarded by the serpent Tchetbi '^ J 4r ^^ ^^^
Ra enters it he sees the sepulchres of the gods who form
the bodyguard of Osiris, and comes to the twelve Hour-
goddesses, who are divided into two groups, six in each
group, by the monster serpent Herrt, which spawns twelve
serpents. Afu Ra orders the gods who tow his boat to take
him to the habitations of the god Ares, or Sar ^s:-|i^,

and on his arrival there he raises up to life the "broken
souls," and apportions them meat and drink. On the right
of Afu Ra are the twelve gods who carry their Kau, or
Doubles, which they offer to the god. Afu Ra next passes
the Lake of Life, and the Lake of the Living Uraei.
Round the former stand twelve jackal-headed gods who
invite the god to bathe in it, and say that its waters are too
holy for any soul of the dead to approach. From the latter
the uraei drive away every soul which attempts to approach
it, and the words which they utter are so terrible that they
destroy the shadows of the dead which have succeeded in
getting near it. Further on Afu Ra passes the shrine of
Khenti Amenti, who appears in mummy form, wears the
White Crown, and stands on a serpent. Two companies
of gods stand by the shrine, and Heru-ur, one of the oldest
gods of Egypt, addresses Khenti Amenti as " Osiris," and
declares that all spirits, both the good and the bad, hold him
in awe. Afu Ra does not address Osiris, and apparently he
takes no notice of the gods who praise him, but he calls
upon Horus to avenge him on those who conspire against
him, and to cast them to the " Master of the Lords of the
furnaces " that he may have them destroyed. The furnaces,
or fire-pits, are four in number, and into these the enemies
of Afu Ra are hurled and destroyed. Who these enemies
are is not clear, but that they have incurred the displeasure
of Afu Ra is certain.

The Fifth Section of the Tuat is called " Arit "

^ , and Afu Ra is admitted through its gate

154 The Papyrus of Ani

by a Serpent-god called " Teka-her " j^j y or " Fiery-
face." The god is towed as before, and he first meets
the nine gods Kheru-Ennutchi, and a group of gods
who represent the "souls of men who dwell in the
Tuat," and who are under the control of the god
Heriqenbetef Afu Ra next meets a company of gods who
represent the souls of those " who were speakers of the
truth upon earth, and who magnified Ra." As a
reward they are given habitations of peace with Ra,
praises are sung to their souls, they shall eat meat in
the Field of Reeds (Sekhet Aaru), and offerings shall be
made to them always upon earth, even as to Hetep,
the Lord of the Field of Offerings (Sekhet Hetepet).
From these statements it is clear that the souls of those
who had led a life of truth and integrity upon earth
enjoyed existence with the gods in the Field of Offerings,
in a place specially set apart for the spirits and souls of
the righteous. The importance of offerings is once again
insisted on, and it is certain that the religion of the
Egyptians was, in the main, one of sacrifices»and offerings.
To the right of Afu Ra are the twelve "gods who
sing praises in the Tuat," and the twelve "gods who
hold the measuring cord," and the four Henbiu gods
who are the overseers of the celestial domains. The
first of these groups of gods enjoy their position in the
Tuat because they praised Ra morning and evening,
and because they "satisfied" him; and they partake of
the food of the god. The gods with the measuring
tape measure out the allotments for the blessed, and no
soul takes possession of his allotment unless he has proved
himself to have been a speaker of the truth upon earth.
The ground which is cultivated by the blessed is kept
in a fertile state by the Henbiu gods, who from time to
time dress it with "sand." To the left of the god are
seen representatives of the four great nations of men
into which the Egyptians divided mankind, namely Men
{i.e., Egyptians), Negroes, Libyans, and Asiatics ; the
Egyptians and the Libyans are said to have sprung from
the eye of Ra. It is to be noted that the members of
each nation or people live together in the Tuat. Near
these are the gods who administer the Kingdom of Osiris

The Abode of the Blessed 155

of Abydos. First come the "holders of time in Amenti,"
who hold in their hand the serpent Meteriu, and it is their
duty to measure the period of the life of souls in that
region, and to act as timekeepers generally for those who
have to perform work for Osiris. Next come the
Tchatchau, i.e., " chiefs," or taskmasters, who have the
lists of the men in the celestial corvee, and keep a record
of the work which they do. They are impartial overseers,
and they see that the commands of Osiris are carried out
to the letter, and that no soul is made to do more than his
share of the work of the T^at. As men were rewarded or
punished in the Tuat according to their deeds upon earth,
and as these timekeepers and taskmasters rewarded or
punished souls according to the entries in their registers,
they may be regarded as the recording angels of the
Kingdom of Osiris. The man who was a field-labourer in
this world could hardly expect to be anything else in the
next, but at least he would work there for a just and
impartial Judge.

The Sixth Section of the Tuat is guarded by a gate
called Nebtaha, and its warder is the Serpent-god Setem-
ARiTF, i.e., " Fire in his eye." In or near this gate was
situated the Judgment Hall of Osiris, and we see Osiris in
it seated upon a chair of state placed upon the top of
a platform with steps. The god, who is here called Sar,

, is in mummy form, and wears the double crown, ^,

and holds •¥- and j in his hands. Before him is a Balance, the

pillar of which is in the form of a human mummy. On each
of the nine steps of the throne stands a god. Above these
is a boat in which an ape is standing beating a pig called
the " Eater of the Arm." In front of the boat is another
ape, and above, in the corner, stands Anubis. This version
of the Judgment Scene is quite different from that found in
the papyri, as a glance at the Papyrus of Ani (Plates III
and IV) will show. The boat of Afu Ra is towed through
this Section as before, and the god passes a series of jackal-
headed sceptres to each of which two of the enemies of
Osiris are tied. Afu Ra, as he moves on, has on his right
twelve Maatiu gods, and twelve Heteptiu gods, who
represent the souls of those " whose Kau, or Doubles, have
" been washed clean, whose iniquities have been done away,

156 The Papyrus of Ani

" and who were declared speakers of the truth at the
" Judgment." Twelve other gods are engaged in the culti-
vation of wheat, which is here called the "body and

members of Sar," | 1 ^, and the beings who ate

this wheat ate the body of their god.^ Wheat was the "plant
of truth," and Osiris was Truth, and the eaters of the divine
wheat became truth, even as he was.

The Seventh Section of the Tuat is guarded by
a gate which is called " Pestit," and its warder is the

serpent-god Akhanarit «>-=> . Here are found a

number of gods whose arms and hands arc hidden, and who
represent " invisible beings whom the dead are able to see."
These must be followers of Ra, for Afu Ra promises them
that they shall be with him in Het-Benben, i.e., the House
of the Benben Stone in Anu (Heliopolis), wherein the spirit
of the Sun-god was supposed to dwell on certain occasions.
Next come gods armed with clubs having forked ends ;
these are the Kheru-Metauh, whose duty it was to maim
and destroy the serpent Seba. This monster is seen near
them, and from out of his body twelve human heads emerge
when Afu Ra appears. Beyond is a group of Star-gods,
who hold the rope which fetters Qan, or Aqen, or Naq,
a god whose functions are not known exactly. Close by,
on the back of the serpent Nehep, lie twelve mummies, who
represent " those who are asleep in the body of Osiris " ;
these are in the hands of Tuati, the god of the Tuat. As
Afu Ra passes these, Tuati addresses the mummies and
bids them cast aside their bandages, and throw off their
wigs, and collect their bones and flesh, and open their
eyes, and rise up from their state of inertness, and take
possession of their estates in Sekhet Nebt Hetepet.
Further on is a pool of boiling water, or a lake of fire, and
the heat which arises from the serpent in it is so fierce that
the gods and souls of the earth dare not approach the pool.
The duty of the gods who sit round about it is to provide
warmth for the Governor of Aukert, i.e., for the Governor
of the Tuat of Heliopolis. After a time these gods receive

^ Prof. Wiedemann has collected a number of important facts on this
subject in his valuable paper "Osiris V<cg#-tant."

The Abode of the Blessed 157

their bodies and souls from the serpent Nehep, and then
they proceed to the Field of Reeds.

When Afu Ra enters the Eighth Section of the Tuat,

which is guarded by a gate called Bekhkhi, jL^ fllj ll f=~^'
the warder of which is the Serpent-god Sether, 1 c. ( II y ,

or " Fiery Face," he passes into the western part of the
Tuat of Anu, or Heliopolis. His boat is towed into a very
long lake, or a series of lakes, or lagoons, which must
represent the lakes in the Delta, or a part of the Mediter-
ranean Sea ; the god who is in charge of these waters
is Nu. In the water itself we see four groups of men
performing evolutions in the waters. These are addressed
by the gods who are towing Afu Ra, and are ordered by
them to "praise the soul of Ra which is in heaven, and his
body which is on the earth." Next the god of the waters,
Nu, calls upon the men in the waters to worship Ra, and
promises them that they shall breathe air through their
nostrils, and enjoy peace in their waters. Offerings shall
be made on earth to their souls, which shall never die, and
they shall be fed like Ra, whose body is on earth, and whose
soul is in heaven. The men in the water must assuredly
represent those who have been drowned in the Nile, or in
the Lakes of the Delta, or in the sea. Apparently the
Egyptian theologians did not know how to arrange for the
bodies of those who were drowned being rejoined by their
souls, so they decided that they must be content to remain
separated from their souls, even as Ra is separated from
his soul. Further on are the Tchatchau, or chiefs, or
" taskmasters," who have been already mentioned, and a
group of souls, each of whom stands with a loaf of bread
and some seke7nu vegetables before it. These souls repre-
sent the great company of those who have been permitted
to take up their abode by the Lake of Fire called Serser,
in the very centre of which stood the throne of Osiris, and
who are fed daily by the order of Osiris. They receive
a fixed daily ration, the quantity of which never varies, in
fact their " daily bread." This ration was given by the
Tchatchau, or by gods under their direction, and every soul
received its portion without any addition or diminution. In
passing through the T^at, Afu Ra confirms this ration to

158 The Papyrus of Ani

the souls who are the faithful servants of Osiris. Further
on is a company of the enemies of Osiris, who stand with
their arms tied together at the elbows behind their backs in
a most painful attitude. Before these, and facing them, is
the monster serpent Khati, which belches fire on them,
whilst the seven gods who stand on his back aid the work
of their destruction. The offences with which they are
charged is contempt of secret things {i.e., the mysteries),
insult offered to the sacred object called seke?)i, and the
profanation of the mysteries of the Tuat, and the punish-
ment which Horusthe Aged inflicts upon them is mutilation
and burninof of their bodies, and annihilation of their souls.
The Ninth Section of the Tuat is guarded by the
gate called " Aat-shefsheft," the warder of which is the

Serpent-god Abta N,^ . The pictures which illustrate

this Section represent the performance of the ceremonies
that were carried out in it with the view of making Afu
Ra to finish his journey in the Tuat successfully. The boat
of the god is towed as before by four gods, but the way of
the god is blocked by the serpent Aapep and the crocodile
Seshsesh, or Sessi. To destroy them seems to be impossible,
but they may be rendered impotent by means of spells cast
on them by Afu Ra. Against them go forth gods posses-
sing words of power, and the Saiu Ape-gods, and the Sait
goddesses : the second and the third of these groups work
magic against the monsters by tying knots in ropes, and
muttering spells over them as they work. Having taken
up their positions all these shake out the nets which they
hold in their hands, and recite their incantations, and Aapep
and Sessi are rendered powerless. Between the monsters
and the groups of gods already described is the prostrate
figure of a god called Aai, who is grasping with both hands
the end of a rope, which is held by three men armed with
harpoons. Aai has on his head a small disk, and two
objects which resemble the ears of an ass. He may be
a form of the Sun-god, for the ass is one of the types of
the god, or he may represent a victim which had been
placed there to tempt the crocodile from his place. Next
Afu Ra approaches the serpent Khepri, who has a head
and a pair of human legs at each end of his body, and under
him passes a rope which is hauled by the Eight Powers on

The Abode of the Blessed 159

the one side, and by the Souls of Amenti, and the Followers
of Thoth, Horus, and Ra on the other. The other gods
in this Section, namely Horus in his boat, the two-headed
god Horus- Set, i.e.y Day and Night, the gods who raise
the Crowns of the South and the North, are all engaged in
performing ceremonies connected with the reconstitution of
Afu Ra as the Day-Sun of this world. At the end of the
section are : i. The serpent Shemti, with four heads at
each end of his body. 2. The serpent Bata, with a head
at each end of his body. 3. The serpent Tepi, with four
human heads and bodies at each end of his body. 4. Tepi's
warder, Abeth. Against all these go forth two gods, each
armed with a net.

In the Tenth Section of the Tuat, which is guarded
by the gate " Tcheserit," the warder of which is the

Serpent-god Sethu I , Afu Ra is towed by four gods

as before. All opposition to his progress has been over-
come, and the gods of this Section have nothing to do
except to assist in the further reconstitution of the god.
Unti, with two stars, lights up the Tuat, four fire-gods
supply light and fire, three star-gods bring the face of the
disk of the sun of this earth, Semi acts as guide, Besi supplies
the materials for the sun's fires, Ankhi determines the
duration of the day, four goddesses address words of
welcome to the god, and Mehen, bearing the double bow of
Horus-Set, leads Afu Ra towards the east. On his right
are the imperishable stars, and the goddesses who tow the
boat of Afu Ra at dawn, and the Eye of Ra, which takes
its place in the face already mentioned, and several other
gods of the Tuat. On his left lies the serpent Aapep, and
about his neck is a chain which is grasped by the Setfiu
gods, and the Tchatiu gods, and the colossal hand of
Amen-khat. Attached to the chain are the five small
chains of Keb and the Four Sons of Horus, and by
another chain lies the goddess Serq. The Antiu gods and
the Henatiu gods_ armed with knives and sticks with curled
ends also attack Aapep, and, as the monster is now utterly
subdued, Afu Ra continues his course without further
hindrance from him.

The Eleventh Section of the Tuat is guarded by

a gate called " Shetatbesu " g; J I , the warder

i6o The Papyrus of Ani

I I I

of which is the Serpent-god Amnetuf [j-|k /

Once more Aapep appears, but he is in fetters, and the
gods of the Section stand ready to attack him with knives
if necessary. Next come four Ape-gods, each holding a
large hand, and their duty is to stand near the Sun-god,
two on this side and two on that, and hold up the disk in
the sky, and sing hymns to it. The gods who stand on
the right of Afu Ra place crowns on the head of the Sun-
god, and give names to all his forms, and drive away Set,
and sing hymns to the new Sun-god. Those on the left
carry disks for him, and open the Gate of Akert to him, and
bear stars, and, like the "morning stars " in Job xxxviii, 7,
sing hymns to him when he is received into the arms of
the Sky-god Nu.

The Twelfth Section of the Tuat is guarded by a

gate called " Tesert-baiu " —„— a,<^^^ the warders of which

are the Serpent-gods Sebi ^uu and Reri (In. This

gate is different from all the rest, for no companies of gods
guard it, and, though flames of fire sweep round about it to
keep away enemies, its chief protectors are the Serpent-
gods and the standards of Khepera and Temu. Just
before Afu Ra reaches this part of the Tuat he transforms
himself into the Beetle of Khepera, which has the solar
disk in front of it, and so emerges from the eastern end of
the Tuat into the vestibule which is the immediate entrance
to the sky of this world. When the ball of the sun comes
to the celestial ocean it is placed by the gods of the dawn
in the Mantchet Boat, and it begins its journey across the
sky. Thus Afu Ra has completed his journey through the
Tuat, has triumphed over all dangers therein, has passed
judgment on his enemies, and bestowed rewards on his
friends, and as Ra in the eastern sky he begins to dispense
heat, and liy'ht, and life to the inhabitants of this world.
All the souls who have accompanied him in his boat live
again, and they look down from it upon their old homes
and friends. They live with Ra, eat of his food, are
arrayed in apparel like his, and partake of his nature.

For the beings in the Tuat who were not provided
for by Osiris, existence must have been very sad, for
they were obliged to live in darkness and misery, except

The Gods of the Book of the Dead i6i

for the brief space of time each night when Afu Ra
passed through the Tuat. In fact, the Tuat was a place
of darkness, hunger, thirst, and suffering for many souls.
The Egyptians did not believe in purgatory or everlasting
punishment; the souls in the Tuat lived just so long as their
friends and relatives on earth made the prescribed funerary
offerings in their tombs upon earth, and no longer, then
they died the "second death." The enemies of Ra and
Osiris, that is to say, the wicked, were slaughtered daily
and their bodies consumed by fire, but each day brought
its own supply of these, and thus the avenging gods
were kept busy daily, and the fire-pits were filled with
victims daily. There is no evidence in the texts that the
Egyptians thought that the burning of the same victims
could go on for ever.

THE GODS OF THE BOOK OF THE

DEAD

Tern ^^, or Atmu (]^^^| i^, according

to Egyptian tradition, the oldest of the gods, and he is
called the "divine god," the "self-created," the "maker
of the gods," the "creator of men," "who stretched out
the heavens," " who illumineth the Tuat with his
Eyes" [i.e., the sun and moon). He existed when

D tQ ^ L i D P^ ci IS. D W O III

not was sky, not was earth, not were men,

JS?^ Ill III D (i^ ^ _M^

not were born the gods, not was death.^

In what form he existed is not stated, but he created
for himself, as a place wherein to dwell, the great mass
of Celestial Waters to which the Egyptians gave the name

of Nu 3^. In these, for a time, he lived quite

alone, and then, in a series of efforts of thought, he created

^ Pyramid Text of Pepi I, 1. 664.
VOL. I. M

i62 The Papyrus of Ani

the heavens and the celestial bodies in them, and the gods,
and the earth, and men and women, animals, birds, and
creeping things, in his own mind. These thoughts or
ideas of creation were translated into words by Thoth,
or the intelligence or mind of Temu, and when he
uttered these words all creation came into beinir. The
great College of the Priests of Anu, or Heliopolis, made
Temu the head of their Companyof the Gods, and so far back
as the IVth dynasty they made Ra, the god of the sun, to
usurp his place, and his powers, and his attributes. In
their system of theology, so far as it can be learned from
the Pyramid Texts, Temu was made to be a form of the
Sun-god in the evening or early night, and in this
character he generally appears in the later Recensions of
the Book of the Dead. It is interesting to note that
Temu is always depicted in the form of a man or king,
and he wears the Crowns of the South and the North ;
like all other gods he carries in his hands the sceptre

1 and the symbol of "life" -?■. Many of the attributes

of Temu were absorbed by the god Khepera, who was
also a great Creation-god and a form of the Sun-god. In
late times, the Egyptians formulated the existence of a
female counterpart of Temu called Temt or Temit

^^^ T^ . In an interesting passage in Chapter CLIV

of the Theban Recension, the name of Temu is coupled
with that of Osiris as beino- ofods whose flesh never
saw corruption. On the part played by Tem in the
creation of the great eternal Soul-spirit, or the Light-spirit,
which is the source from which all the Spirit-souls of men
are descended, see Chapter LXXVIII.

Nu, '^^^^ Jj, IS the name given to the vast mass ot

water which existed in primeval times, and was situated
presumably in the sky ; it formed the material part of the
great god Tem, or Atmu, who was the creator of the
universe and of gods and men. In this mass, which was
believed to be of fathomless depth and of boundless extent,
were the germs of all life, and of all kinds of life, and for this
reason the god who was the personification of the water, i.e.,

Nu, was called the "Father of the Gods," (] ^ ^IHj^

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 163
and the "producer of the Great Company of the Gods,"

O I I I

The watery mass of Nu was the

prototype of the great World-Ocean which later ancient
nations believed to surround the whole world. Out from
Nu came the river which flowed through the Tuat, or
Other World, and divided its valley into two parts, making
it to resemble Egypt. From Nu also came the waters
which appeared in the two famous caverns in the First
Cataract, and which, flowino- from their mouths, formed the
river Nile. The waters of Nu formed the dwelling place of
Tem, and out of them came the sun, which was the result
of one of Tern's earliest acts of creation. The early
inhabitants of Egypt thought that the sun sailed over the
waters of Nu in two magical boats, called Mantchet, or
Matet, or Atet, and Semktet, or Sektet, respectively ; in
the former the sun set out in the morning on his journey,
which he finished in the latter. A very ancient tradition in
Egypt asserted that Nu was the head of a divine company,
which consisted of four o-ods and four croddesses. These

o o

were : —

Nu, ^^^ rjf . Nut, , , ^^^^ ^ Jl •

Hehu,||^J. HehutJI^;^.

Kekui, ^ ^^ ^ s^ • Kekuit, ^ \\ ^ ^ ^ | .

Kerb, ^|^|. Kerhet, ^fj^ I'

The gods of these pairs were depicted in human form,
with the heads of frogs, and the goddesses in the forms of
women, with serpents' heads. Nu was the primeval water
itself, Hehu personified its vast and endless extent, Kekui the
darkness which brooded over the water, and Kerh its inert
and motionless character. Very little is known about the
three last-named gods and their female counterparts, for
they belong to a system of cosmogony which was superseded
by other systems in which the Sun-god Ra played the most
prominent part. The goddess Nut, who was in the earliest
times a Water-goddess, was depicted under the New Empire
in the form of a woman, and also in the form of a cow.

M 2

164 The Papyrus of Ani

Ra, - a Jj , is the name which was given to the Sun-
god by the early Egyptians, but the meaning of the word
and its origin are unknown. Ra, according to dynastic
tradition, was the first being created by Tem out of the
Celestial Waters of Nu, and he was regarded as the visible
emblem of God, and as the great god of this world, and to
him sacrifices and offerings were made daily. The seat of
Ra-worship was, under the Ancient Empire, situated at
Anu, or Heliopolis, a large city which lay a few miles to the
east of the site occupied by modern Cairo. This city was,
from the earliest times, the terminus of the great caravan
road between Syria and Egypt, and was densely populated
with inhabitants of many nationalities. Several kinds of gods
must have been worshipped there, among them being many
who were favourites of the caravan men and merchants
who came from Asia, but the greatest of them all was Ra.
These facts show that the bulk of the people who flocked to
Anu were worshippers of Ra, for the temple of the Sun-
god was maintained by the offerings of the faithful, and the
importance of the temple proves that the devotees of the
Sun-god were very numerous and very well-to-do. The
worship of the sun was common enough at all periods
among the tribes of Syria and the Delta, but there is no
evidence to show that it was as common among the
inhabitants of Upper Egypt, or of any part of the Upper Nile
Valley. Among the bulk of Africans the moon was, and
still is, the favourite object of worship, and not the sun.
As I have given the proofs of this statement in my Osiris
and the Egyptian Resurrection, they need not be repeated
here. The importance of Ra-worship in Lower Egypt
under the Ancient Empire was due entirely to the political
influence of the priests, which was used very skilfully. The
first king of the Vth dynasty was Userkaf, who was a priest
of Ra, and it seems that he succeeded in wresting the
supreme power from the successors of the great kings
Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura. Whether this be so or not
matters little, but it is almost certain that he was the first

king of Egypt who added the title "Son of Ra," ^kO.
to his other titles, and who gave himself an additional name
as son of Ra. The priests of Ra at that early period claimed
to have in their bodies the veritable blood of Ra, and they

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 165

asserted that their high priests were the offspring- of Ra by-
human mothers. And of the existence of this dogma under
the Ancient Empire we have traditional proof in the
Westcar Papyrus, where we read that Userkaf and his two
immediate successors, Sahura and Kakaa, were the sons of
the god Ra by Rut-tett, the wife of a priest of the god Ra

of the town of Sakhabu, ^ ^-^ J ^ © • The three boys

were assisted into the world by the goddesses Isis, Nephthys,
Meskhenet and Heqet, and by the god Khnemu, and their
future greatness was prophesied at the time of their birth.
The belief that Ra came down from heaven and was united
to a mortal woman, and that every king of Egypt was
the offspring of such a union, persisted throughout the
country for about three thousand years. Hatshepsut
decorated the walls of her temple at Der al-Bahari with
scenes which illustrate the principal events connected with
her conception and birth, and prove conclusively that she
believed herself to be of the seed of Amen. A part of the
temple of Amen-hetep III at Luxor was decorated with
a series of reliefs which prove that this king believed
himself to be Amen-Ra incarnate, and there is no doubt
that every king of Egypt, including even kings of Egypt of
Nubian origin, held the same belief Popular tradition, as
represented by the Pseudo Callisthenes, declared that
Alexander the Great was an incarnation of Amen, who took
the form of the last native king of Egypt, Nekhtnebf, and
seduced Olympias, the wife of Philip, king of Macedon.
And the story of the journey of Alexander the Great to the
temple of Amen in the Oasis of Siwah, in order to be
acknowledged by the god as his son is too well known to
need mention.^

The form in which Ra was worshipped in the large
Sun-temples which were built by some of the kings of
the Vth dynasty was that of a stone. The stone had
the shape of a massive, truncated obelisk, with a pyramid
above it, and it stood on a strong masonry base. The
spirit of the Sun-god was supposed to enter the stone
at certain periods, and on these occasions human sacrifices

^ A statement about the languages into which this story has been
translated, and an account of its wanderings will be found in my Histoiy of
Alexander the Great, Cambridge, 1890.

i66 The Papyrus of Ani

were offered to it. The victims were probably prisoners
of war who had been captured alive, and foreigners,
and when these failed, the priests must have drawn upon
the native population, as priests have done in Africa from
time immemorial.

Ra sailed over the sky in two boats ; his morning
boat was called " Mantchet," or Matet, or Atet, and his
evening boat " Semktet." His course was guided by
Madt, the personification of law, order, unfailing regularity,
etc. After he set in the west in the evening he entered
the Tuat under a different form, and by the help of the
gods who were there, and by the power which he possessed
in his own person, he passed through that region
successfully, and appeared in the sky of this world the
next morning in his usual form. As he passed through the
Tuat he gave air, and light, and food to those who, for
some reason or other had been doomed to dwell there.
Two fishes swam before the boat of Ra, and acted as
pilots and warned him of coming danger ; these were called

Each morning as he was about to enter the sky, and
just before he left the Tuat, he engaged in battle with

the great Devil called " Aapep " ViMili. which, aided

by a group of powerful monster serpents, attempted
to bar his progress, and make his reappearance in this
world impossible. All Aapep's attacks failed, because Ra
first cast spells on him, and when he was incapable of
motion, the supporters of the Sun-god bound him in chains,
then hacked him to pieces, which were finally consumed by
the flames of Ra. The priests of Ra told this story of their
god, but it is far older than the period when Ra's fame was
great, and the two great protagonists in the daily fight
between Light and Darkness were Heru-ur and Set. Under
the Vth dynasty the priests of Ra made a vigorous
attempt to combat the spread of the cult of the Man-god
Osiris, which had spread all over the Delta from Busiris,
the northern centre of the cult, and all over Upper Egypt
from Abydos, the southern centre. Before the end of the
Vlth dynasty the priests of Osiris prevailed, and Ra was
relegated to an inferior position, and the greatest of his

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 167

attributes were ascribed to Osiris. What the exact cause
of the contest was cannot be said, but it is quite certain
that there was something in the doctrines of the priests
of Ra, or in the worship that was the practical
expression of them, which was contrary to the instincts
of the Egyptians as a nation. HeliopoHs always contained
a mixed population, and it is probable that the doctrines of
the priests of Ra were tainted with Asiatic beliefs
which were an abomination to the indigenous population
of Egypt. There was, of course, a very important
element of native Egyptian belief associated with the cult
of Ra, and that explains the reception of sun-worship in
Upper Egypt during the Middle and New Empires.
Still, we see that from the Xllth dynasty onwards the
cult of Amen was predominant in Upper Egypt, and
that the local god of Thebes absorbed all the attributes
of Ra, which his priests had transferred to him from
Tem, Under the XlXth and XXth dynasties seventy-
five forms of Ra were distinguished, and the Addresses
to these formed a sort of Litany of Ra which was said
or sung during the services in the temples, and copies
of them were painted on the walls of the tombs of several
kings, e.g., those of Seti I, Seti II, Rameses IV.^

Khepra S <=> (j J) > W (1 Jj , is a very ancient

god whom religious tradition associated with the creation
of the world and of all things in it. He is usually called
Khepra kheper tchesef, i.e., Khepra, the self-produced,

O <=z> 1 rjj O <=z> ^i^ , and his principal type and symbol

was a beetle. He is usually represented in human form
with a beetle upon his head, but sometimes a beetle takes
the place of the human head. In the Chapter on Egyptian
Ideas of God, we have already described the part which he
took in the creation of the world. There can be little doubt
that the cult of the beetle is far older than that of Ra of
HeliopoHs, and when we find the priests of Ra identifying
their god with Khepera, we must understand that it is only
another example of their method of grafting new beliefs on
the cult of the old indigenous gods of their country. The
cult of the beetle was general in Egypt and the Sudan, and

^ See Naville, La Litanie du Soleil, Leipzig, 1875.

i68 The Papyrus of Ani

many of the ideas which the inhabitants of the Nile Valley
held concerning it still survive in those countries. The
particular beetle which the Egyptians chose as the symbol
of their god Khepera belongs to the family called Scai-a-
baeidac (Coprophagi) of which the Scarabaeus sacer is
the type. These insects form a very numerous group of
dung-feeding Lamellicorns, of which, however, the majority
live in tropical countries ; they are usually black, but many
are adorned with bright metallic colours. They Hy during
the hottest part of the day, and it was this peculiarity which
probably caused the primitive Egyptians to associate them
with the sun. Thus, as far back as the Vth or Vlth dynasty,
it is said in the text of King Unas : " This Unas flieth like
" a goose (or duck), he alighteth like the beetle ; he flieth
" like a goose (or duck), he alighteth like the beetle upon

"the empty throne in thy Boat, O Ra," (1^ f^ () P]|

o (11. 476, 477).

The beetle which was the symbol of Khepera was the
subject of many curious theories among ancient classical
writers. Aelian,^ Porphyry- and Horapollo^ thought that
beetles were all males, and that as there were no females
among them they were all self-produced. This view arose
from the fact that to the ordinary observer the male and
female are very much alike and because the male and
female each take part in rolling along the ball which is so
frequently seen with them. The female digs a hole in the
ground in which she deposits one ^'g'^^. Whilst she is doing
this the male goes about and collects a quantity of dung,
which he rolls over and over again until it becomes a
tolerably compact ball, from one to two inches in diameter.
This he rolls along to the hole in which the female has
deposited her ftg'g, and, sometimes alone and sometimes
helped by the female, he pushes the ball into the hole on

^ De Nat. Animalium, X, 15,
^ De Al'stinentia, IV, 9.
^ Ed. Leemans, p. 11.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 169

top of the Qgg, where it remains until the young beetle is
hatched out, when the ball serves for its food. It was
formerly thought that the ball of dung contained many
eggs, which were mixed up together with the dung on
which the larvae were to feed, but it has been proved by
entomologists that the female of the Scarabaeus sacer only
lays one ^'g'g at a time. This fact was probably known to
the ancients, for Horapollo says that the scarab denotes
an " only-begotten," fxovoyeuTJ';. Be this as it may, the ball
of the sun, which was the immediate cause of life to the
world, was supposed to be rolled across the sky by a

pfiorantic beede, Kheprer m'^^^S. who was at a very

early period identified with Khepera, the Creator and the

Father of the gods ^ \\\- ^^^ Egyptians believed

that the beetle was an incarnation of Khepera, and imagined
some resemblance between the ball of food for the larva
which it rolled over the ground and the ball of the sun,
which was the visible expression of the life of Khepera,
and was rolled across the sky by him. They thought that
if they made figures of the beetle of Khepera, and wore
them, they would attract the power of the god to them, and
secure his protection for their bodies, both when living and
when dead. The scarab was associated with burial as far
back as the IVth dynasty, according to one tradition, and
another tradition shows that it was placed on the bodies of
the dead as an amulet under the 1st dynasty. See the text
of Chapter XXXb and the translations of it and the Rubrics
to Chapter LXIV.

Ptah °|^, or Ptah, Lord of Life, °f ^^f^^'

was one of the oldest and greatest gods of Memphis, and
local tradition asserted that he was the creator of the
universe ; his worship, in one form or another, goes back
to the beginning of the Dynastic Period. He was identified
with Temu and Ra and was called "the very great god

who existed in primeval time," | 3 ^^^wna ^^=* TtTJ ^ j^j;

the "father of fathers," ^ ^ ^ .^ f ^'^•> the great-
great-grandfather of the gods ; ' ' the father of beginnings (?),
the creator of the egg of the sun and moon," " the lord of

lyo The Papyrus of Ani

" Maat, the kin^r of the two lands, the o"od of the beautiful
" face, who created his own image, who fashioned his own
" body, the Disk of heaven, who illumineth Egypt with the
" fire of his two eyes," etc. He was the great celestial
worker in metals, and the chief smelter, caster, and sculptor
to the gods. He was the master architect of the world,
and he made the design for every part of the framework of
the world. He fashioned the bodies of men in this world,
and also the new bodies into which souls entered in the
Tuat. His name was joined to that of several gods with
whom at first sight it seems that he could have had little
in common, e.g., Ptah-Asar (Ptah-Osiris), Ptah-Hapi (Ptah-
Nile), Ptah-Nu, Ptah-Seker, Ptah-Seker-Asar, Ptah-Seker-
Tem, Ptah-Taten, etc., which shows that his priests made
him to usurp the functions and attributes of many older
gods. The Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead
states that Ptah performed the operation of " Opening the
Mouth " on the gods, with a metal instrument which he
had made, that is to say, he raised them up from inertness
and gave them life ; and every follower of Osiris believed
that Ptah would do the same for him. Ptah is depicted in
the form of a bearded man with a bald head and swathed in
mummy bandages, from which through an opening in front
of him his hands project. From the back of his neck

hangs the mendt (w , a symbol of physical well-being and
sexual intercourse, and he holds in his hands the emblems
of " content " I, "life " -r-, and "stability " u. He stands

upon the symbol of maat / — i. Ptah was the chief member
of the great triad of Memphis, his female counterpart and
son being called Sekhmet and Nefer-Tem, i.e., Young
Tem, respectively.

Ptah-Nu, °y ^1 and Ptah-Hap °y f"^

have no special representations in the reliefs, for

they are merely forms of the Celestial Waters and the Nile.

Ptah-Seker °|^^*jj represents the union of Ptah

with Seker, the oldest and greatest god of that portion of
the Tuat which was set apart for the inhabitants of the
nome of Memphis. Seker was originally a personification

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 171

of inert matter, motionless and dead, and he sat enthroned
in a region of utter blackness and night ; in later times he
became the Death-god of Memphis. He is depicted, like
Ptah, in the form of a mummy, but he sometimes has a
hawk's head ; he holds the same sceptres, etc., and he is
called " the greatest god who was in the beginning, and

dwelleth in the darkness " 1 J ^ <c^ T -^^^ "^ ^^-^ T S ^^f^" •

In the XVI Ith Chapter of the Book of the Dead the
deceased prays to be delivered from " the great god
" who carrieth away the soul, and eateth hearts, and
" feedeth upon filth, the guardian of the darkness, the
" dweller in the Seker Boat." In reply to the question
" Who is this .-^ " the answer is given, " It is Suti (or Seti),
or Smamur, the Soul of Keb." This makes it quite certain
that Seker was Darkness and Death personified. The

Seker Boat, ^^==^ >^'-^%^ ^ which is seen in the Vignettes of

Chapter LXXIV (see Plate XVIII), contained a coffer in
which was placed the emblem of Seker, On the day of the
festival this boat, which rested on a sledge with runners,
was drawn round the sanctuary at sunrise by the priests of
the god. This ceremony was performed under the direction
of the high priest, whose official title was Ur-kherp-hem

•'^sf <j T , i.e., the "great chief of the hammer," a fitting title

for the high-priest of the Blacksmith-god Ptah. The name

given to the boat itself was Henu x \I ^A/» ^^^^d it is

A /www v£ ^1 I I I .

represented on objects which date from the 1st dynasty.

Ptah-Seker-Asar R 3 ""^^^ jl til ^^ ^ triune god, to
whom belonged all the attributes of Seker, the god of death,
and of Osiris, the god of the resurrection, and of Ptah, the
Creator. Originally, as Death-gods, Seker and Osiris had
many attributes in common, and the fusion of the two gods
was the result of the triumph of Osiris over all the gods of
death over all Egypt. Seker represented death absolute
and final, but Osiris represented the death which was merely
a temporary phase or state through which the righteous had
to pass introductory to a renewed life obtained by resurrec-
tion, in the Kingdom of Osiris. The union of Ptah with
Seker and Osiris symbolized the addition of creative power

172 The Papyrus of Ani

to death, which manifested itself in providing the new bodies
in which the souls of the ricjhteous were to live. Ptah-
Seker-Asar has to all intents and purposes the form of
Osiris, but Egyptian artists delighted to depict him as a
squat pigmy, with a large bald head and thick limbs, with a
beetle on the top of his head, and a lock of hair on the right
side of it. He thus possessed all the virile power of Menu,
and the creative power of Khepera, and the youth and
vigour of Harpokrates. The union of Ptah with Seker and
Osiris may also be the result of an attempt made by the
priests of Memphis to make those gods subordinate to
Ptah, just as the priests of Thebes under the New Empire
tried to make Osiris subordinate to Amen.

Ptah-Tatenn ° ^J\ ';^ J\ is depicted in the form
of a god in mummy form with a pair of horns, and a disk,
and a pair of plumes on his head, and the ordinary symbols
of rule /\ j I in his hands. Tatenn was a very ancient

god, and his attributes were those of a creative god, and
resembled those ascribed to Ptah. The following extract
from a hymn,^ written about 1200 B.C., illustrates the view
of the Egyptians about this god. " The winds come forth
" from thy nostrils, and the celestial water from thy mouth,
" and the staff of life (i.e., wheat, barley, dhura, etc.)
" springeth from thy back. Thou makest the earth to bring
" forth fruit so that gods and men may have abundance,
" and cattle like unto the Cow-cfoddess Mehurt are seen
" in thy fields. When thou art at rest the darkness cometh,
" and when thou openest thy two eyes, light is produced

" Thou art the great god who didst stretch

" out the heavens, who makest thy Disk to revolve in the
" body of Nut, and to enter therein in thy name of Ra ;
" thou art the fashioner of gods and men, and of everything
" which existeth, thou art the maker of all countries and
" lands, and of the Great Green [Sea] in thy name of

" ' Kheper-ta,' H ; thou dost brinij the Nile out

" from his cavern, thou makest the staff of life to flourish,
" thou makest the grain to come forth therefrom in thy
" name of Nu the Aged, thou makest the celestial deep to

1 For the hieratic text see Lepsius, Denkmii/er, Abth. VI, Bl. 118.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 173

" bring forth, thou makest water to appear on the mountains
" to give Hfe to men and women." Among the titles of
this ""od are : —

Babe, who art born daily, 7^1^(llPP° '

2. Aged One, dweller in the eternal borders, f%

3. Exalted Being, the unapproachable one, ^^^T ]]

4. Hidden One, his form cannot be known, (] 1[^

Khnemu, Q ^^^^ ^ 3 , was the first member of the

great triad of the First Cataract, which was worshipped in a
temple on the Island of Elephantine ; the second and

third members were Sati and Anqet, (C, J) ' T^ (2\ '

respectively. The cult of this god is very ancient, and we
find his name preserved by the Gnostics, two or three
centuries after Christ. The animal in which Khnemu
became incarnate was the ram, with flat horns projecting at
right angles to his head ; this ram disappears from the monu-
ments before the period of the Xllth dynasty. Khnemu is
usually depicted as a ram-headed man, seated or standing,
who holds in his hands the symbols of " serenity " and
"life." He wears the White Crown, to which are attached
a pair of horns, a pair of plumes, and a disk. He possessed
many attributes, and from the earliest times, whether as
a Water-god, or a Sun-god, he was regarded as one of the
creators of the universe. His name Khnemu seems to be
connected with words which mean "to build," " to fashion,"
"to put together," and he "united" the sun and moon at
various seasons of the year, and built up the gods, and men,
and the year. He made the cosmic egg which contained
the sun, and he fashioned man on a potter's wheel.
Khnemu was the god/>ar excellence of the First Cataract,
and his principal sanctuaries were at Philae and Elephantine.
In very early times he was merely the local Water-god of the
Cataract region, and it is possible that he was the personi-
fication of the Nile-flood ; but later he was regarded as

I "74 The Papyrus of Ani

the Nile-god of all Egypt, and the attributes of many
creator-gods were bestowed upon him. Thus he was " the

father in the beginning," ^ ^=^]£^ a; " the Maker of

" things which are, Creator of things which shall be. Source
" of the lands, Father of fathers. Mother of mothers,"

^ ' '^^ ' /'/s^ />^ /5*Ci ^ '=^

" Father of the fathers of the gods and goddesses, lord of
" things created in himself, maker of heaven, and earth, and
* ' the Tuat, and water, and the mountains, " 2^^=>_ ^'wwv p] p] p]

AAAAAA - — -

:^ n^^ ^^ ® /www r^^ ; " supporter of the sky upon

its four pillars, raised up of the same in the firmament (?) "

united within himself the souls of the gods Ra, Shu, Keb,
and Osiris, and in this aspect he is represented in pictures
with four rams' heads upon a human body ; these, according
to Brugsch, represented fire, air, earth, and water. A legend,
which is cut on a rock on the Island of Sahal in the First
Cataract, states that a great famine which lasted seven years
came upon Egypt in the reign of Tcheser, a king of the
Ilird dynasty. This famine was due to the neglect of
Khnemu by the Egyptians, and to the niggardliness of the
offerings which they made to him. When the country was
well-nigh ruined, the king went to the temple of Khnemu at
Elephantine, and suitable offerings having been made, the
god appeared to him, and proclaimed himself to be the Nile,
and promised to restore the Inundation provided that the
kino- restored his worship and endowed his temples suitably.
When these things were done, Khnemu made the Nile to

flow forth from his two caverns (Qerti, ^_^^ 2], and

prosperity was restored to Egypt. The Egyptians dis-
tincruished, in the late period, seven forms of Khnemu :
I. Khnemu. the modeller; 2. Khnemu, Governor of
Egypt; 3. Khnemu, the weaver (?) ; 4. Khnemu, Governor
of the House of Life ; 5. Khnemu, Lord of the Land of
Life ; 6. Khnemu, Governor of the pleasures of the Ankhet
Chamber ; 7. Khnemu, the Lord.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 175

Shu P^f^' the second member of the company of

the gods of Anu, was the firstborn son of Ra, Ra-Temu,
or Tum, by the goddess Hathor, the sky, and was the
twin brother of Tefnut. He typified the light, and dryness,
and dry objects. He Hfted up the sky, Nut, from the
earth, Keb, and placed it upon the steps ^ which were in
Khemenu. He is usually depicted in the form of a man,
who wears upon his head a feather f) , or feathers (llj ,
and holds in his hand the sceptre | . At other times he
appears in the form of a man with upraised arms ; on
his head he has the emblem -SS) , and he is often
accompanied by 1 1 1 1 > the four pillars of heaven, i.e.,

the cardinal points. Among the va^^ny faience amulets which
are found in tombs are two that have reference to Shu :
the little models of steps /\ typify the steps upon which Shu

rested the sky in Khemenu A \\ ^fcv y^ U ^ - = ^ oil ^

and the crouching figure of a god supporting the sun's
disk symbolizes his act of raising the sun's disk into the
space between sky and earth at the time when he
separated Nut from Keb. He may be compared to the Atlas
of classical writers. From an inscription published by
Brugsch in his Did. G^og., p. 211, and in his T/iesaurtts,
p. 500, we see plainly that Shu and Tefnut were gods
of Sudani or Nubian origin, and that their worship was
introduced into the Island of Senmut, in the First Cataract,
from the South. The description of the advent of these
gods is not only depicted on the walls of the temple of
Philae, but also on many other temples of the Graeco-
Roman Period. The texts recording the legend of the
advent of the gods have been collected and published by
Dr. H. Junker, in Der Auszug der Hathor-Tefnut aus
Nubien (Abhandl. der Konigl. Preuss. Akad. Berlin, 191 1).

Tefnut ^Jj,the third member of the company

of the gods of Anu, was the daughter of Ra, Ra-Temu,
or Temu, and twin sister of Shu; she represented in one
form moisture, and in another aspect she seems to
personify the power of sunlight. She is depicted in the

176 The Papyrus of Ani

form of a woman, usually with the head of a lioness
surmounted by a disk or uraeus, or both ; in faience,
however, the twin brother and sister have the head of
a lion and the head of a lioness respectively. The
oriijinal home of Tefnut was the Nubian deserts, throu^rh
which she roamed, drenched in the blood of her enemies,
whose flesh she tore off their bodies and ate, and whose
blood she drank. Fire flew out of her eyes, and she
breathed fire from her mouth. In the Pyramid Texts the
two gods play a curious part, Shu being- supposed to
carry away hunger from the deceased, and Tefnut his
thirst.^

Keb "^t J ^ , the fourth member of the company of

the gods of Anu, was the son of Shu, husband of Nut,
and by her father of Osiris, I sis. Set, and Nephthys.
Originally he was the god of the earth, and is called

both the "father of the gods" Ml'' ^^^^ ^^

" erpa u (i.e., the tribal, hereditary head) of the gods."

He is depicted in human form, sometimes with a crown

upon his head and the sceptre | in his right hand ; and

sometimes he has upon his head a goose, which bird was
one of his incarnations. In many places he is called

the "great cackler " ^O^" '^ ^ '^^ ^^ r^ > ^"^^ ^^^ ^^s
supposed to have laid the egg from which the world
sprang. Already in the Pyramid Texts he has become a
god of the dead by virtue of representing the earth
wherein the deceased was laid.

Asar or Ser rl^, the sixth member of the company of

the gods of Anu, was, according to Heliopolitan tradition,
the son of Keb and Nut, and the husband of his sister I sis,
the father of " Horus, the son of Isis," and the brother of
Set and Nephthys. The version by Plutarch of his suffer-
ings and death has been already described (see pp. 53 ff.).
Whatever may have been the foundation of the legend, it is
pretty certain that his character as a god of the dead was

Travaux, t. V, p. 10 (1. 61).

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 177

well defined long before the versions of the Pyramid Texts
known to us were written, and the only important change
which took place in the views of the Egyptians concerning
him in later days was the ascription to him of the attributes
which in the early dynasties were regarded as belonging
only to Ra or to Ra-Temu. Originally Osiris was the
personification of the Nile-flood, and among his attributes
was that of a destroying god ; he may also be said to have
represented the sun after he had set, and as such was the
emblem of the motionless dead ; later texts identify him
with the moon. The Egyptians asserted that he was the
father of the gods who had given him birth, and, as he was
the god both of Yesterday, i.e., the Past, and of To-day,
i.e., the Present, he became the type of eternal existence
and the symbol of immortality ; as such he usurped not
only the attributes of Ra, but those of every other god, and
at length he became both the god of the dead and the god
of the living. As judge of the dead he was believed to
exercise functions similar to those attributed to God.
Alone among all the many gods of Egypt, Osiris was
chosen as the type of what the deceased hoped to become
when, his body having been mummified in the prescribed
way and ceremonies proper to the occasion having been
performed and the prayers said, his glorified body should
enter into the presence of Osiris in heaven ; to him as the
" lord of truth " and the " lord of eternity," by which titles
as judge of the dead he was commonly addressed, the
deceased appealed to make his flesh to germinate and to
save his body from decay. ^ The various forms in which
Osiris is depicted are too numerous to be described here,^
but he is usually represented in the form of a mummy
wearing the White Crown and holding in his hands
the emblems of sovereignty and power and serenity. A
very complete series of illustrations of the forms of Osiris is

. compare (jt-^q ^ IJlSfj-i-^^®

^Tl^^^^ii^::!:^11at^'

See Chapter CLIV of the Theban Recension.

2 For the Iconography of Osiris see Budge, Osiris and the Egyptian
Resurrection, Vol. I, p. 24.

VOL. I. N

178 The Papyrus of Ani

given by Lanzone in his Dizionario, taw. 258-299. The
ceremonies connected with the celebration of the events of
the sufferings, the death, and the resurrection of Osiris
occupied a very prominent part in the religious observances
of the Egyptians, and in the month of Choiak a representa-
tion of them took place in various temples in Egypt ; the
text of a minute description of the ceremonies performed at
this miracle-play has been published by M. Loret in
Recueil de Travaitx, tom. Ill, pp. 43 ff, and in a subsequent
volume. A perusal of this work explains the signification
of many of the ceremonies connected with the burial of the
dead, the use of amulets, and certain parts of the funeral
ritual ; and the work in this form being of a late date proves
that the doctrine of immortality, gained through the god
who was " lord of the heavens and of the earth, of the
" underworld and of the waters, of the mountains, and of
" all which the sun goeth round in his course," ^ had
remained practically unchanged for at least four thousand
years of its existence. For the early history of Osiris see
the chapter entitled " The Legend of Osiris."

Ast or Set ft "^ r?j ' the seventh member of the company

of the gods of Anu, was the wife of Osiris and the mother
of Horus ; her woes have been described both by Egyptian
and Greek writers.^ Her commonest names are " the great
" goddess, the divine mother, the mistress of words of power
" or enchantments "; in later times she is called the " mother
of the gods," and the "living one." She is usually depicted
in the form of a woman, with a headdress in the shape of a

seat [|, the value of the hieroglyph for which forms her

name. The animal in which she sometimes became
incarnate was the cow, hence she sometimes wears upon
her head the horns of that animal accompanied by plumes
and feathers. In one aspect she is identified with the
goddess Selk or Serq, and she then has upon her head a

AA/^WV ^mnD I III I O

* Chabas, Un Hymne a Osiris (in Revue Archioloi:^ique, t. XIV, pp. 65 ff.);
Horrack, Les Lamentations d'Jsis et dc Nephthys, Paris, 1866 ; Tfie Festival
Songs of I sis and Nephthys (in Archaeo/ogia, Vol. LI I, London, 1891);
Golenischeff, Die Metternichstele, Leipzig, 1877; Plutarch, De hide et
OsiridCf etc.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 179

scorpion, the emblem of that goddess ; in another aspect
she is united to the star Sothis, and then a star i<: is added
to her crown. She is, however, most commonly represented
as the mother suckling her child Horus, and figures of her
in this aspect, in bronze and faience, exist in thousands.
As a nature-goddess she is seen standing in the Boat of the
Sun, and she was probably the deity of the dawn.

Heru or Horus ^\ , the Sun-god, was originally a

totally distinct god from Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis,
but in very early times it seems that the two gods were
confounded, and that the attributes of the one were ascribed
to the other ; the fight which Horus the Sun-god waged
against night and darkness was also at a very early period
identified with the combat between Horus, the son of Isis,
and her brother Set. The visible emblem of the Sun-god

was at a very early date the hawk ^^ , which was probably
the first living thing worshipped by the early Egyptians ;
already in the Pyramid Texts the hawk on a standard ^
is used indiscriminately with | to represent the word "god."
The principal forms of Horus the Sun-god, which probably
represent the sun at various periods of the day and night,
are: — Heru-ur ^^ f^ ('Apwi7pt9), "Horus the Great";
Heru-p-khart ?N^ ° ^^ ^, " Horus the Child " ; Heru-
merti ^^ "^ O ^ ' " ^o^'-'^ ^f the two eyes," i.e., of the
sun and moon ; ^ Heru-nub '^ , "the golden Horus";
Heru-khent-khat ^vfflh 5 Heru-khent-an-ariti (i*) ^^
f[jh -"- o ^' " Ho^us dwelling in blindness " ; Heru-khuti
^^, " Horus of the two horizons,"^ Harmakhis, the type

^ A very interesting figure of this god represents him holding his eyes
e^^ ^^^ in his hands; see Lanzone, Dizionario, p. 6i8.

2 I.e., Horus between the mountains of jl (^>^ Bekhatet and

^> Qy\y] Manu, the most easterly and westerly points of the sun's course,
and the places where he rose and set.

i8o The Papyrus of Ani

of which on earth was the Sphinx ; Heru-sma-taui ^^ 1 '" ,
" Horus the uniter of the North and South"; Heru-hekenu
5 ^O^ <^' " H^^^^s ^^ Heken"; and Heru-behutet

Horus of Behutet."^ The cippi of Horus,

which became so common at a late period in Egypt, seem
to unite the idea of the physical and moral conceptions of
Horus the Sun-god and of Horus the son of Osiris and Isis.

Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, ^^ jj^, appears

in Egyptian texts usually as Heru-p-khart ^^n<=>2j),

or " Horus the Child," who afterwards became the " avenger
of his father Osiris," and occupied his throne, as we are
told in many places in the Book of the Dead. In the
Pyramid Texts the deceased is identified with Heru-p-khart,
and a reference is made to the fact that the god is always
represented with a finger in his mouth. ^ The curious
legend which Plutarch relates concerning Harpokrates and
the cause of his lameness^ is probably based upon the
passage in the history of Osiris and Isis given in a Hymn to
Osiris of the XVIIIth dynasty.*

Set P^^y or Sutekh ^£^2^5-^, Gr. Srjr, the

eighth member of the company of the gods of Anu, was the
son of Keb and Nut, and the husband of his sister
Nephthys. The worship of this god is exceedingly old,
and in the Pyramid Texts we find that he is often mentioned
with Horus and the other gods of the Heliopolitan company

^ For figures of these various forms of Horus, see Lanzone, op. cit.^
taw. 214 fT.

n V\. Recueil de Travaux, t. V, p. 44 (1. 301).

^ Trtv c ^\<Tiv ^leTO. 7rjv reXevTTJu t^ 'Oai'pi^o'i av^f^ievofievov, rcKeii'
rjXirofiTtvoi' Kdl (iffOei'TJ rots KUTwOei/ <^{vioit tov 'Ap7roK/>i'nt/f. De Iside et
O Stride, § xix.

^;3i ^ "r^^i ""^^ ^ % • Ledrain, Monuments Egyptiens^

PI. XXV, 11. 2, 3.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead i8i

in terms of reverence. He was also believed to perform
friendly offices for the deceased, and to be a god of the
Sekhet-Aaru, or abode of the blessed dead. He was the
king of the South as Horuswas the king of the North, and the
power of each was equal. He is usually depicted in human
form with the head of an animal which has not yet been
identified ; in later times the head of the ass was confounded
with it, but the figures of the god in bronze which are pre-
served in the British Museum and elsewhere prove beyond
a doubt that the head of Set is that of an animal unknown
to us. The Set animal is not the okapi, as some Egypto-
logists think ; the opinion of naturalists has settled this
question. In the early dynasties Set was a beneficent god,
and one whose favour was sought after by the living and
by the dead, and so late as the XlXth dynasty kings
delighted to call themselves " beloved of Set." After the
cult of Osiris was firmly established, and this god was the
"great god" of all Egypt, it became the fashion to regard
Set as the origin of all evil, and his statues and Images
were so effectually destroyed that only a few which escaped
by accident have come down to us.^ Originally Set, or
Sut, represented darkness and night, and perhaps the
desert, and was the opposite of Horus ;^ that Horus and
Set were opposite aspects or forms of the same god is
proved by the figure given by Lanzone [Dizionario, tav. ^y,
No. 2), where we see the head of Set and the head
of Horus upon one body. The natural opposition of
light (Horus) and darkness (Set) was at an early period
confounded with the battle which took place between
Horus, the son of Isis, and Set, wherein Isis intervened,
and it seems that the moral idea of the battle of rieht
agamst wrong^ became attached to the latter combat, which
was undertaken by Horus to avenge his father's murder
by Set.

^ See the two bronze figures of the god in the British Museum
(Fourth Egyptian Room, Nos. 18191, 22897).

2 In the Pyramid of Unas, 1. 190, they are called the <:z> 0 v ' '

or " two combatants " ; and see Pyramid of Teta, I. 69, where we have the

spelling <=>| ^^.

^ On the personification of evil by Set, see Wiedemann, Die Religion^
p. 117.

i82 The Papyrus of Ani

Nebt-het, or Nephthys T] ^ , the last member of the

company of the gods of Anu, was the daughter of Keb and
Nut, the sister of Osiris and Isis, and the sister and wife of
Set. When the sun rose at the creation out of the primeval
waters Nephthys occupied a place in his boat with Isis and
other deities ; as a nature-goddess she either represents the
day before sunrise or after sunset, but no portion of the
night. She is depicted in the form of a woman, having
upon her head the hieroglyphs, the values of which form

her name, "lady of the house" X\ . A legend preserved

by Plutarch^ makes her the mother of Anpu, or Anubis,
by Osiris. In Egyptian texts Anpu is called the son of
Ra.^ In religious texts Nephthys is made to be the
companion of Isis in all her troubles, and her grief for her
brother's death is as great as that of his wife.

Anpu, or Anubis, IJn^r^, the son of Osiris or Ra,

sometimes by Isis and sometimes by Nephthys, seems to
represent as a nature-god either the darkest part of the
night or the earliest dawn. He is depicted either in human
form with a dog's head, or as a dog.^ In the legend of
Osiris and Isis, Anubis played a prominent part in con-
nexion with the finding of the dead body of Osiris ; one
tradition asserts that he only found it with the help of dogs.
In papyri we see him standing as a guard and protector of
the deceased lying upon the bier; in the Judgment Scene he
is found as the guard of the balance, the pointer of which
he watches with crreat diliofence. He was the " Embalmer "
par excellence, and as such was the god of the chamber of
embalmment, and eventually he presided over the whole of
the " funeral mountain." He is always regarded in the
Book of the Dead as the messenger of Osiris, but in the
older text he was the chief envoy of Ra, who sent him to
embalm the body of Osiris.

Up-uat, the \J £5=2 ^^ of the Pyramid Text,* or

" Opener of the ways," was depicted in the form of a wolf,

^ De Iside et Osiride, § 14. 2 gge Lanzone, op. cit., p. 65.

3 In pictures the animal which symbolizes Anubis often resembles
a jackal as much as a dog.
* Pyramid of Unas, 1. 187.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 183

but Anubis and Up-uat are often confounded in funerary-
scenes. On sepulchral stelae and other monuments two
dog-like animals are frequently depicted ; one of these
represents Anubis, and the other Up-uat, and they probably
have some connexion with the northern and southern parts
of the funereal world. According to a legend described by
Professor Maspero the god Anubis led the souls of the
dead to the Elysian Fields in the Great Oasis. ^

Among the primeval gods are two, Hu x^^, and
Saa 1 (I .^m ^^^, who are seen in the Boat of the Sun

at the creation. They are the children of Temu, or Temu-
Ra, but the exact part which they play as nature-gods has not
yet, it seems, been satisfactorily made out. They seem to
be personifications of two of the senses. The first mention
of them in the Pyramid Texts records their subjugation by
the deceased,^ but in the Theban Book of the Dead they
appear among the company of the gods who are present
when the soul of the deceased is being weighed in the
balance.

Tehuti, or Thoth, j^, represented the divine intelli-
gence, which at creation uttered the words that when
spoken turned into the objects of the material world. He
was self-produced, and was the great god of the earth, air,
sea, and sky ; and he united in himself the attributes of
many gods. He was the scribe of the gods, and, as such,
he was regarded as the inventor of all the arts and sciences
known to the Egyptians ; some of his titles are "lord of
writing," " master of papyrus," "maker of the palette and
the ink-jar," " the mighty speaker," " the sweet-tongued " ;
and the words and compositions which he recited on behalf
of the deceased preserved the latter from the influence of
hostile powers and made him invincible in the Other World.
He was the god of right and truth, wherein he lived, and
whereby he established the world and all that is in it. As
the chronologer of heaven and earth, he became the god of

^ See Le Nom antique de la Grande-Oasis (in Journal Asiatique,
IX® S^rie, torn. I, pp. 233-40).

Unas, 1. 439.

184 The Papyrus of Ani

the moon ; and as the reckoner of time, he obtained his
name Tehuti, i.e., " the measurer " ; in these capacities he
had the power to g-rant Hfe for millions of years to the
deceased. When the great combat took place between
Horus and Set, or between Horus, the son of Isis, and Set,
Thoth was present as judge, and in the struggle between
the two gods he gave to Isis the cow's head in the
place of her own, which had been cut off by Horus in his
rage at her interference ; having reference to this fact he is

called Up-rehui ^||^^^^ |> "The judge of the two

Men, or Fighters." One of the Egyptian names for the

ibis was tQ> ^^^ Tek/i, and the similarity of the sound of

this word to that of Tehu, the name of the moon as a
measurer of time, probably led the Egyptians to depict the
god in the form of an ibis, notwithstanding the fact that the
dog-headed ape was generally considered to be the animal
sacred to him. It has been thought that there were two
gods called Thoth, one being a form of Shu ; but the
attributes belonging to each have not yet been satisfactorily
defined. In the monuments and papyri Thoth appears in
the form of a man with the head of an ibis, which is some-
times surmounted by the crown ^2, , or [[] . or ^&^ , or by
disk and horns X^ , or O , and he holds in his left hand
the sceptre 1 , and in the right ■¥•; sometimes he is depicted

holding his ink-jar \J and the crescent moon O , and some-
times he appears in the form of an ape holding a palette full
of writing-reeds.^ Thoth is mentioned in the Pyramid
Texts^ as the brother of Osiris, but whether he is the same
Thoth who is called the " Lord of Khemenu " and the
" Scribe of the gods " is doubtful.

Maat '^^ c^%S\, the female counterpart of Thoth, was,

according to Heliopolitan tradition, the daughter of
Ra, and a very ancient goddess ; she seems to have
assisted Ptah and Khnemu in carrying out rightly the
work of creation ordered by Thoth. There is no one
word which will exactly describe the Egyptian conception

^ See Lanzone, op. cit., tav. 304, No. i.
^ Pyramid of Unas, 1. 236.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 185

of Maat both from a physical and from a moral point
of view ; but the fundamental idea of the word is
" straight," and from the Egyptian texts it is clear that
niadt meant right, true, truth, real, genuine, upright,
righteous, just, steadfast, unalterable, etc. Thus already
in the Prisse Papyrus it is said : " Great is viadf, the
" mighty and unalterable, and it hath never been broken
" since the time of Osiris,"^ and Ptah-hetep counsels his
listener to " make madi, or right and truth, to flourish."^

The just, upright, and straight man is vmdi . 0 : n?^,

and in a book of moral precepts it is said, " God will judge
the right (-^)- ^^1^ V^x^^^^^
H i> Maat, the goddess of the unalterable laws of
leaven, and the daughter of Ra, is depicted in female
form, with the feather h , emblematic of jjzadt, on her head,
or with the feather alone for a head, and the sceptre |
in one hand, and ■¥• in the other.-^ In the Judgment Scene

two Maat goddesses appear ; one probably is the
personification of physical law and the other of moral
rectitude ; or one may have presided over Upper Egypt,
and the other over Lower Egypt.

Het-heru, or Hathor ^, the "house of Horus,"

was the goddess of the sky wherein Horus the Sun-
god rose and set. Subsequently a great number of
goddesses of the same name were developed from her,
and these were identified with Isis, Neith, lusaset, and
many other goddesses whose attributes they absorbed.
A group of seven Hathors is also mentioned, and these
appear to have partaken of the nature of good fairies.

' p-s- -7^ 5, ^^-11 ifl i ^ -^ ^ ^ )y

"Page.S,.. .p^^^flr^

^ Amelineau, La Morale, p. 138.

* The various meanings of maat are illustrated by abundant passages
from Egyptian texts by Brugsch, Worterbiich (Suppl.), p. 329.
^ See Lanzone, op. cif., tav. 109.

i86 The Papyrus of Ani

In one form Hathor was the goddess of love, beauty,
happiness ; and the Greeks identified her with their own
Aphrodite. She is often depicted in the form of a woman
having- disk and horns upon her head, and at times she
has the head of a Hon surmounted by a uraeus. Often
she has the form of a cow — the animal sacred to her —
and in this form she appears as the goddess of the tomb
or Ta-Tchertet, and she provides meat and drink for the
deceased.^ As a Cow-goddess she is probably of Sudani
orio"in.

Meht-urt ^^ <==> ^u~3| is the personification of that

part of the sky wherein the sun rises, and also of that
part of it in which he takes his daily course ; she is
depicted in the form of a cow, along the body of which
the two barks of the sun are seen sailing. Already in
the Pyramid Texts we find the attribute of judge ascribed
to Meh-urt,^ and down to a very late date the judgment
of the deceased in the hall of Double Maat in the presence
of Thoth and the other gods was believed to take place
in the abode of Meh-urt,^ i.e., in the sky.

Net, or Neith, ^*^J' ^^ /^' " ^^^ divine mother,
the lady of heaven, the mistress of the gods," was
one of the most ancient deities of Egypt, and in the
Pyramid Texts she appears as the mother of Sebek.* The
centre of her cult was at Sais in the Delta. Like Meh-urt
she personifies the place in the sky where the sun rises.
In one form she was the goddess of the loom and shuttle,
and also of the chase ; in this aspect she was identified by
the Greeks with Artemis. She is depicted in the form of a
woman, having upon her head the shutde xix or arrows

\/ , or she wears the crown >/ and holds arrows 1 1 ,
a bow vs^, and a sceptre in her left hand ; she also

^ A good set of illustrations of this goddess will be found in Lanzone,
o/>. at., tav. 314 f.

S--CS]ilkT¥^^i-^"S

N.^

Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 48 (1. 427).

3 Pleyte, Chapiires suppliinentaires dti Livre des Marts (Chapp. 162,
162,* 163), p. 26. " Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 76 (1. 627).

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 187

appears in the form of a cow.^ The goddess Neith was
believed to be self-produced, and an ancient Saite tradition
made her to be the mother of Ra, the Sun-god.

Sekhmet P^^ J. was in Memphis the wife of Ptah,
and the mother of Nefer-Temu and of I-em-hetep.
She was the personification of the burning heat of the
sun, and as such was the destroyer of the enemies of
Ra and Osiris. When Ra determined to punish mankind
with death, because they scoffed at him, he sent Sekhmet,
his " eye," to perform the work of vengeance ; illustrative of
this aspect of her is a figure wherein she is depicted with
the sun's eye for a head.^ Usually she has the head of
a lion surmounted by the sun's disk, round which is a

uraeus ; and she generally holds a sceptre I, but some-
times a knife.

Bast H "^ J) . according to one legend, was the mother
of Nefer-Temu. She was the personification of the gentle
and fructifying heat of the sun, as opposed to that personified
by Sekhmet. The cat was sacred to Bast, and the goddess
is usually depicted cat-headed. The most famous seat of
her worship was the city of Bubastis, the modern Tell
Bastah, near Zakazik, in the Delta.

Nefer-Temu I v^ Jj, was the son either of Sekhmet or

Bast, and he personified some form of the morning sun.
He is usually depicted in the form of a man, with a cluster
of lotus flowers upon his head, but sometimes he has the
head of a lion ; in the \kt\e /a'lence figures of him, which are
so common, he stands upon the back of a lion.^ He no
doubt represents the Sun-god in the legend which made him
to burst forth from a lotus, for in the pyramid of Unas the
king is said to :

■X^aa em Nefer-Tenm etn sessen er sert Ra

" Rise like Nefer-Temu from the lotus (lily) to the nostrils of Ra,"

and to " come forth on the horizon every day."*

* See Lanzone, op. cit., tav. 177. ^ Ibid.^ op. cit.^ tav. 364.
^ Ibid., op. cit., tav. 147.

* Recueil de Travaux, t. IV, p. 45 (1. 394).

1 88 The Papyrus of Ani

Neheb-ka ^|JUMl' is the name of a goddess

who is usually represented with the head of a serpent, and
with whom the deceased identifies himself.

Sebak ' J fl^^^^^H^' ^ form of Horus the Sun-god,
must be distinguished from Sebak, the companion of Set,
the opponent of Osiris ; of each of these gods the crocodile
was the sacred animal, and for this reason probably the
gods themselves were confounded. Sebak- Ra, the lord of
Ombos, is usually depicted in human form with the head of

a crocodile, surmounted by ^^? , yTy, or aQ, or ^^}

Menu ^ ^ ,2 or Amsi () ^ "^ ^ , is one of the

most ancient gods of Egypt. He personified the power of
generation, or the reproductive force of nature ; he was the
"father of his own mother," and was identified with
" Horus the mighty," or with Horus the avenger of his
father Un-nefer or Osiris. The Greeks identified him with
the god Pan, and called the chief city where his worship
was celebrated Khemmis,^ after one of his names. He is
depicted usually in the form of a man standing upon / — i ;

and he has upon his head the plumes, [H , and holds the flail,
, in his right hand, which is raised above his shoulder.*

Neb-er-tcher B^ 3\^ '^ name which signifies " lord

to the uttermost limit," i.e., "lord of the universe"; this
name was subsequently given to Osiris. Some have
thought that it was given to Osiris after the completed
re-construction of his body, which had been hacked to pieces
by Set.

Un-nefer -^^^!I^T J), a name of Osiris in his

capacity of god and judge of the dead in the Underworld.
The name probably means " good being."

Astennu fl ' ^^ Wj , a name given to one of the
associates of the god Thoth, and to Thoth himself

^ Lanzone, op. cit., tav. 353. - Also read Khem.

3 In Egyptian the town is called Apu (1 D ^ O .
^ Lanzone, op. cit., tav. 332.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 189

Mert-sekert l<=:>n^ , "the lover of silence," is

a name of Isis or Hathor as goddess of the Underworld.
The centre of her cult was a portion of Western Thebes.
She is sometimes depicted in the form of a woman, having
a disk and horns upon her head.^

Serq or Selk N 2i|Pr34> is a form of the goddess

Isis. She is usually depicted in the form of a woman, with
a scorpion upon her head ; occasionally she appears as
a scorpion with a woman's head, surmounted by disk and
horns. ^

Ta-urt ^^^<r:=> (/l , the Thoueris of the Greeks, was

identified as the wife of Set or Typhon ; she is also known

under the names Apt [1 M. and Sheput ^ os • Her

common titles are "mistress of the gods," |^ |i. and
"bearer of the gods" |T| ' | | |- She is depicted in the

form of a hippopotamus standing on her hind legs, with
distended paunch and hanging breasts, and one of her

forefeet rests upon V , the symbol of magical power, which

probably represents a part of the organs of generation of
the goddess ; sometimes she has the head of a woman, but

she always wears the disk, horns, and plumes [^ .

Uatchit I ((]'=' (a ' was a form of Hathor, and was

identified with the appearance of the sky in the north when
the sun rose. She is either depicted in the form of a woman,

having upon her head the Crown of the North >/ and
a sceptre j] , round which a serpent is twined, or as a winged

uraeus wearinor the Crown of the North. She was the
principal goddess of the town of Buto, in the Delta.

Nekhebit 1 J ^\> was a very ancient goddess, the

centre of whose cult was the town of Nekheb in Upper
Egypt, the Eileithyiaspolis of the Greeks, and the modern
Al-Kab. She was the tutelary deity of Upper Egypt in

^ See Lanzone, tav. 124. ^ Idtd., op. cit, tav. 362.

190 The Papyrus of Ani

very early dynastic times. She appears in the form of
a woman, either with the vulture headdress, or with the
head of a vulture, and sometimes as a vulture. Nekhebit
and Uatchit divided between them the sovereignty of all
Egypt.

Beb, Bebti, Baba, or Babu, J J ^> J J -^v'
J^J^^or J^^J^^^, mentioVd

three times in the Book of the Dead, is the " firstborn son
of Osiris," and seems to be one of the gods of generation.

Hapi § ;:;:;:::;;;;, perhaps originally Hepr, is the name

of the great god of the Nile who was worshipped in Egypt

under two forms, i.e., " Hapi of the South," 8 -^^X S^'

and " Hapi of the North," | t=t 'W ^ ; the papyrus was

the emblem of the former, and the lotus of the latter.
From the earliest times the Nile was regarded by the
Egyptians as the source of all the prosperity of Egypt, and
it was honoured as being the type of the life-giving waters,
out of the midst of which sprang the gods and all created
things. In turn it was identified with all the gods of Egypt,
new or old, and its influence was so great upon the minds
of the Egyptians that from the earliest days they depicted
to themselves a material heaven wherein the Isles of the
Blest were laved by the waters of a Celestial Nile ; the Nile
of Egypt was only a continuation of the Nile of heaven.
Others again lived in imagination on the banks of the
heavenly Nile, whereon they built cities ; and it seems as if
the Egyptians never succeeded in conceiving a heaven
without a Nile and canals. The Nile is depicted in the
form of a man, who wears upon his head a clump of papyrus
or lotus flowers ; his breasts are androgynous, indicating
fertility. Lanzone reproduces an interesting scene ^ in
which the South and North Nile gods are tying a papyrus

and a lotus stalk around the emblem of union 1 , to indicate
the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt, and this emblem r^|^

is found cut upon the thrones of the kings of Egypt to
indicate their sovereignty over the regions traversed by the

^ Dizionario, tav. 198.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 191

South and North Niles. It has already been said that
Hapi was identified with all the gods in turn, and it follows
as a matter of course that the attributes of each were
ascribed to him ; in one respect, however, he is different
from them all, for of him it is written : —

He cannot be sculptured in stone ; in the images on which men place

crowns and uraei he is not made manifest ; service cannot be rendered

<a \: /I Sr V — ^ ^ ^^ ^^ I

nor offerings made to him ; not can he be drawn in his form of mystery;

not is known the place where he is ; not is he found in the

UC£ J.^ S^-^ ^

I I I
painted shrine.^

Here the scribe gave to the Nile the attributes of the
great and unknown God its Maker.

In the Pyramid Texts we find a group of four gods with
whom the deceased is closely connected in the Other World ;

these are the four "Sons of Horus " (nOO^^v^ whose

names are given in the following order : — Hep x [|^ ^^'

Tuamutef ^"^n ^ > Amset (j^^^z^n-:^, and Qebh-

senuf ^J I jy H|o"^''l^^.~ The deceased is called their
" father."^ His two arms were identified with Hep and

1 For the hieratic text from which this extract is taken see Birch,
Sekct Papyri, Plates 20 ff. and 134 ff. ; see also Maspero, Hynine au Nil,
public et tradiiit d'apres les deux textes du Musee Britannique, Paris, 1868,
4to. See also Prof. Maspero's new edition published in Cairo, 4to, 19 12
{Bibliotheque d'J^tude, tom. V).

2 Pyramid of Unas, 1. 219; Pyramid of Teta, 11. 60, 286; Pyramid of
Pepi I, 11. 444, 593, etc.

^ Pyramid of Pepi I, 1. 593.

192 The Papyrus of Ani

Tuamutef, and his two legs with Amset and Qebhsenuf;^
and when he entered into the Sekhet-Aaru they accom-
panied him as guides, and went in with him two on each
side.^ They took away all hunger and thirst from him,^
they gave him life in heaven and protected it when given,*
and they brought to him from the Lake of Khemta the
boat of the eye of Khnemu.^ In one passage they are

called the " four Khiis of Horus " ^ = ^ (] ° ^
'^^'^^j'^^ /wwvA ^j^^,fi and originally they represented the
Four Horus gods, who held up the four pillars which
supported the sky, T 1 1 | , or their father Horus. Each was
supposed to be lord of one of the quarters of the world, and
finally became the god of one of the cardinal points. Hep
represented the north, Tuamutef the east, Amset the south,
and Qebhsenuf the west. The Egyptians were in the
habit of embalming the intestines of the body separately, and
they placed them in four jars, each of which was under the
protection of one of the children of Horus, i.e., under the
care of one of the gods of the four quarters of the earth.
The god of the north protected the small viscera, the
god of the east the heart and lungs, the god of the south
the stomach and large intestines, and the god of the west
the liver and gall-bladder. With these four gods four
goddesses were associated, viz., Nephthys, Neith, Isis, and
Selk or Serq.

Connected with the god Horus are a number of mytho-
logical beings called Heru shemsu"^ ^^^^^^,

who appear already in the pyramid of Unas in connection
with Horus and Set in the ceremony of purifying and
"opening the mouth " ; and in the pyramid of Pepi I it is
they who wash the king and who recite for him the

^ Recueil de Travaux, t. Ill, p. 905 (11. 219 f.).

2 Ibid., t. VII, p. 150 (II. 261-63).

3 Ibid., t. V, p. 10 (11. 59 ff.).

' Pn^f //-•^•, t. VIII, p. 91 (1. 593).

6 Ibid., t. VII. p. 167 (1. 444).
« Ibid., t. VII, p. 150 (1. 261).

7 Ibid., t. Ill, p. 182 (1. 17).

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 193

" Chapter of those who come forth," and the " [Chapter of]
those who ascend." ^

In the Judgment Scene in the Book of the Dead,
grouped round the pan of the balance, which contains the
heart of the deceased (see Plate III), are three beings in
human form, who bear the names Shai, Renenet, and
Meskhenet.

Shai T^T^T '^^ [1 [1 Jj, is the personification of Fate, and

Renenet ^^^ww'^J), of Fortune; these names are usually

found coupled. Shai and Renenet are said to be in the
hands of Thoth, the divine intelligence of the gods ; and
Rameses II boasts that he himself is "lord of Shai and
creator of Renenet."^ Shai was originally the deity who
" fated " what should happen to a man, and Renenet, as may
be seen from the Pyramid Texts, ^ was the goddess of
plenty, good fortune, and the like ; subsequently no
distinction was made between these deities and the abstract
ideas which they represented. In the Papyrus of Ani,
Shai stands by himself near the pillar of the Balance, and
Renenet is accompanied by Meskhenet, who acted as
midwife and presided over the birth-chamber. In the
story of the birth of the three sons of Ra, as related in
the Westcar Papyrus, we find the goddess Meskhenet

fn 1 jj mentioned with I sis, Nephthys, Heqet, and

the god Khnemu as assisting at the birth of children.
Disguised in human forms, the four goddesses go to the
house of Ra-user, and, because they have a knowledge of
the art of midwifery, they are admitted to the chamber
where the children are to be born ; I sis stands before the
woman, Nephthys behind her, and Heqet accelerates the
birth. When the child is born Meskhenet comes and
looking upon him says : " A king ; he shall rule throughout

( Q l|l| I , etc. Recueil de Travaux, t. VII, p. 170 (1. 463).

- See Maspero, Romans et Poesies dii Papyrus Harris^ No. 500, Paris,
1879, P- 27.

^ Pyramid of Unas, 1. 564.

VOL. I. O

194 The Papyrus of Ani

" this land. May Khnemu give health and strength to his
♦' body."i

The god Amen j^ |, his wife Mut ^-|, and

their son Khensu I 3\ have nothing whatever to do

with the Book of the Dead ; but Amen, the first member
of this great Theban triad, must be mentioned in connection
with the other gods, because he was usually identified with
one or more of them. The name Amen means the " hidden, "
and seems to refer to the mysterious and unknown power
that causes conception in women and animals ; one of his
symbols is the belly of a pregnant woman. Amen is a very
ancient god, and is mentioned with Ament in the Pyramid
Texts, but his cult did not assume any great importance at
Thebes until the Xllth dynasty, when a large temple was
built in his honour at Karnak. From that time until the
close of the XVIIth dynasty, Amen was the chief god of
Thebes and nothing more. When, however, the last kings
of the XVIIth dynasty had succeeded in expelling the
Hyksos and had delivered the country from the yoke of
the foreigner, their god assumed an importance hitherto
unknown, and his priests endeavoured to make his worship
the first in the land. But Amen was never regarded
throughout the entire country as its chief god, although his
votaries called him the King of the gods. Speaking
generally, in the time of the XVIIIth dynasty and onwards
the god was the personification of the mysterious creating
and sustaining power of the universe, which in a material
form was typified by the sun. His name was changed to
Amen-Ra, and little by little all the attributes of the old
gods of Egypt were ascribed to him, and the titles which
among western nations are given to God were added to
those powers which Amen had usurped. The following
extracts from a fine hymn ^ illustrate the views of the
priesthood of Amen-Ra concerning their god : —

T /ww>A lU O \\ T Awwv 1 1 I I I _B^;i^ ^AAW^ <==>

Papyrus IVes/car, Berlin, 1890, Bl. 10, 11. 13, 14.

2 See Grebaut, Jlyvme a Amman- Ra, Paris, 1S74 ; and Wiedemann,
Die Religion, pp. 64 ff.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 195

" Adoration to thee, O Amen-Ra, the Bull in Anu
(Heliopolis), the ruler of all the gods, the beautiful
and beloved god who givest life to all. Hail to thee,
O Amen-Ra, lord of the Throne of Egypt, thou dweller
in Thebes, thou Bull of thy mother that livest in thy
field, that extendest thy journeys in the land of the south,
thou lord of those who dwell in the west, thou governor
of Punt, thou king of heaven and sovereign of the
earth, thou lord of things that exist, thou stablisher
of creation, thou supporter of the universe. Thou
art one in thine attributes among the gods, thou beautiful
Bull of the company of the gods, thou chief of all the
gods, lord of Madt, father of the gods, creator of men,
maker of beasts and cattle, lord of all that existeth,
maker of the staff of life, creator of the herbs which
ofive life to beasts and cattle .... Thou art the
creator of things celestial and terrestial, thou illuminest
the universe .... The gods cast themselves at thy
feet when they perceive thee .... Hymns of praise
be to thee, O Father of the gods, who hast spread out

the heavens and laid down the earth thou

master of eternity and of everlastingness. . . . Hail to
thee, O Ra, lord of Madt, thou who art hidden in thy
shrine, lord of the gods. Thou art Khepera in thy bark,
and when thou sendest forth the word the gods come
into being. Thou art Temu, the maker of beings which
have reason, and however many be their forms, thou
givest them life, and thou dost distinguish the shape and
stature of each from his neighbour. Thou hearest the
prayer of the afflicted, and thou art gracious unto him
that crieth unto thee ; thou deliverest the feeble one from
the oppressor, and thou judgest between the strong and
the weak .... The Nile riseth at thy will . . . Thou
Only Form, the maker of all that is. One Only, the
creator of all that shall be. Mankind hath come forth
from thine eyes, the gods have come into being from thy
mouth, thou makest the herbs for the use of beasts and
cattle, and the staff of life for the need of man. Thou
givest life to the fish of the stream and to the fowl of the
air, and breath unto the germ in the e.gg ; thou givest
life unto the grasshopper, and thou makest to live the
wild fowl and things that creep and things that fly and

o 2

196 The Papyrus of Ani

" everything that belongeth thereunto. Thou providest
" food for the rats in their holes and for the birds that sit
" among the branches .... thou One, thou Only One
" whose arms are many. All men and all creatures adore
" thee, and praises come unto thee from the height of
" heaven, from earth's widest space, and from the deepest
" depths of the sea .... thou One, thou Only One who

" hast no second whose names are manifold and

" innumerable."

We have seen above that amone other titles the

god Amen was called the "One One" a '^ J| ' hut

the addition of the words " who hast no second " "^^

is remarkable as showing that the Egyptians had already
conceived the existence of a god who had no like or equal,
which they hesitated not to proclaim side by side with
their descriptions of his manifestations. Looking at the
Egyptian words in their simple meaning, it is pretty
certain that when the Egyptians declared that their god
was One and that he had no second, they had the
same ideas as the Jews and Muhammadans when they
proclaimed their God to be " One " ^ and alone. It has
been urged that the Egyptians never advanced to pure
monotheism because they never succeeded in freeing
themselves from the belief in the existence of other gods,
but when they say that a god has " no second," even
though they mention other " gods," it is quite evident that,
like the Jews, they conceived him to be an entirely
different being from the beings which, for the want
of a better word, or because these possessed superhuman
attributes, they named "gods."

The gods above enumerated represent the powers who
were the guides and protectors and givers of life and
happiness to the deceased in the new life, but from the
earliest times it is clear that the Egyptians imagined the
existence of other powers who offered opposition to the
dead, and who are called in many places his "enemies."
Like so many of the ancient gods, these powers were

1 nnvi , Deut. vi, 4. Cp. i"7n^p liv )''N n^nSKn t^^n mn*! ""a,

Deut. iv, 35 ; and n^Tih^_ )••« ""n^t TliT p^l, Isaiah xlv, 5.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 197

originally certain forces of nature, which were believed to
be opposed to those that were regarded as beneficent
to man, as for example darkness to light, and night to
day ; with darkness and night were also associated the
powers which contributed in any way to obscure the light
of the sun or to prevent his shining. But since the
deceased was identified with Osiris and Ra, and their
accompanying gods, the enemies of the one became the
enemies of the other, and the welfare of the one was
the welfare of the other. When the Egyptians personified
the beneficent powers of nature, that is say, their gods,
they conceived them in their own images ; but when
they personified the destroying powers, or opposing powers,
they gave to them the shapes of noxious animals and
reptiles, such as snakes and scorpions. As time went on,
the moral ideas of good and right were attributed to the
former, and evil and wickedness to the latter. The first
personifications of Day and Night, or Light and Darkness,
were Horus and Set, and in the combat — the prototype of
the subsequent legends of Marduk and Tiamat, Bel and
the Dragon, St. George and the Dragon, and many others
— which took place between them, Horus was always the
victor.

Now, though the deceased was identified with Osiris
or Ra, the victory that Horus gained over Set only
benefited the spiritual body which dwelt in heaven, and
did not preserve the natural body which lay in the
tomb. The principal enemy of the natural body was the
worm, and from the earliest times it seems that a huge
worm or serpent was chosen by the Egyptians as the
type of the powers which were hostile to the dead and
also of the foe against whom the Sun-god fought. Already
in the Pyramid of Unas a long section of the text contains
nothing but formulae, the recital of which was intended to
protect the deceased from various kinds of snakes and
worms. ^ These are exceedingly ancient, indeed they may
safely be said to form one of the oldest parts of the funeral
literature of the Egyptians, and we find from the later
editions of the Book of the Dead and certain Coptic works
that the dread of the serpent as the emblem of physical and

^ Maspero, Recueil de Travaux, t. Ill, p. 220.

198 The Papyrus of Ani

moral evil existed among the Egyptians in all generations,
and that, as will be seen later, the belief in a limbo filled
with snakes swayed their minds long after they had been
converted to Christianity.

The charms against serpents in the Pyramid Texts of
the Vth and Vlth dynasties have their equivalents in the
XXXIst and XXXIIIrd Chapters of the Book of the
Dead, which are found on coffins of the Xlth and Xllth
dynasties ;^ and in the XVII I th dynasty we find vignettes
in which the deceased is depicted in the act of spearing
a crocodile^ and of slaughtering serpents.^ In the Theban
and Saite Recensions are several small chapters* the recital
of which drove away reptiles : and of these the most
important is the XXXIXth^ Chapter, which preserved
the deceased from the attack of the great serpent Aapef or

'^^P^P I^^- ° "^ °^ ^^mi' ^vho is depicted with
knives stuck in his folds )Mh-''' In the period of the later
dynasties a service was performed daily in the temple of
Amen-Ra at Thebes to deliver the Sun-god from the
assault of this fiend, and on each occasion it was accom-
panied by a ceremony in which a waxen figure of Aapep
was burnt in the fire ; as the wax melted, so the power of
Aapep was destroyed.''' Another name of Aapep was Nak

I, who was pierced by the lance of the Eye of

Horus and made to vomit what he had swallowed.^

The Judgment Scene in the Theban Recension of the
Book of the Dead reveals the belief in the existence of
a tri-formed monster, part crocodile, part lion, and part
hippopotamus, whom the Egyptians called Am - mit

1 Goodwin, Aeg. Zeitschrift^ 1866, p. 54; see also Lepsius, Aelteste
Texte, Bl. 35, 11. i ff.

- Naville, Todtenbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 44.
» Ibid., Bd. I, Bl. 46.

4 I.e., Chapters 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, etc.

5 For the text see Naville, Todtenbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 53; and Lepsius,
Todtenbuch, Bl. 18.

* See Lanzone, Dizionario, p. 121.

■^ The service for the Overthrowing of Apepi is printed in Archaeoiogia,
Vol. LII, pp. 393-608.

Gr^baut, Bymne, p. 10.

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 199

l^C^'' ^"■^*' " ^^^ Eater of the Dead," and
who lived in Amenta ; her place is by the side of the
scales wherein the heart is weighed, and it is clear that
such hearts as failed to balance the feather of Maat were
devoured by her. In one papyrus she is depicted crouching
by the side of a lake.^ Other types of evil were the insect

Apshai M^T ^|\ [] fl W," confounded in later times with

the tortoise^ izxa*^^, which dies as Ra lives;* the

crocodile Sebak, which afterwards became identified with
Ra ; the hippopotamus, the ass, etc.

The Pyramid Texts afford scanty information about the
fiends and devils with which the later Egyptians peopled
certain parts of the Tuat, wherein the night sun pursued
his course, and where the souls of the dead dwelt ; for this
we must turn to the composition entitled the " Book of him
that is in the Tuat," several copies of which have come
down to us inscribed upon tombs, coffins, and papyri of the
XVIIith and following dynasties. The Tuat was divided
into twelve parts, corresponding to the twelve hours of the
night ; and this Book professed to afford to the deceased
the means whereby he might pass through them success-
fully. In one of these divisions, which was under the rule
of the god Seker, the entrance was guarded by a serpent
on four legs with a human head, and within were a serpent
with three heads, scorpions,^ vipers, and winged monsters
of terrifying aspect ; a vast desert place was their abode,
and seemingly the darkness was so thick there that it might
be felt. In other divisions we find serpents spitting fire,
lions, crocodile-headed gods, a serpent that devours the
dead, a huge crocodile, and many other reptiles of divers
shapes and forms.

From the descriptions which accompany the scenes, it
is evident that the Tuat was regarded by the Egyptians of
the XVIIIth dynasty from a moral as well as from

1 See Chapter CXXV.

2 Naville, Todienbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 49.
^ Lepsius, Todtenlmch, Bl. 17.

* T ^ ^ ^ *^" ^^^^^^^' Todtenbuch, Bd. I, Bl. 184.
^ See Maspero, Les Hypogees Royaux de T/icbes, p. 76.

200 The Papyrus of Ani

a physical point of view.^ Aapep, the emblem of evil,
was here punished and overcome, and here dwelt the souls
of the wicked and the righteous, who received their punish-
ments or rewards, meted out to them by the decree of Ra
and his company of gods. The chief instruments of punish-
ment employed by the gods were fire and beasts which
devoured the souls and bodies of the enemies of Ra ; and
we may see from the literature of the Copts, or Egyptians
who had embraced Christianity, how long the belief in
a hell of fire and torturing fiends survived. Thus in the
Life of Abba Shenuti,^ a man is told that the "executioners
of Amenti will not show compassion upon thy wretched
soul,"^ and in the history of Pisentios, a Bishop of Coptos
in the seventh century of our era, we have a series of details
which reflect the Tuat of the ancient Egyptians in a remark-
able manner. The bishop having taken up his abode in
a tomb filled with mummies, causes one of them to tell his
history.^ After saying that his parents were Greeks who
worshipped Poseidon, he states that when he was dying,
already the avenging angels came about him with iron
knives and goads as sharp as spears, which they thrust into
his sides, while they gnashed their teeth at him ; when he
opened his eyes, he saw death in all its manifold forms
round about him ; and at that moment angels without
mercy (rti^.rreXoc ft ^.e^^.I) came and dragged his
wretched soul from his body, and tying it to the form of
a black horse they bore it away to Amenta (eiULertx =

^^ '^l. Next, he was delivered over to merciless

tormentors, who tortured him in a place where there were
multitudes of savage beasts ; and, when he had been cast
into the place of outer darkness, he saw a ditch more than
two hundred feet deep filled with reptiles, each of which
had seven heads, and all their bodies were covered as it
were with scorpions. Here also were serpents, the very

' See Lef^bure, Book of Hades {Records of the Past, \'ol. X, p. 84).
'^ See Amelineau, Monuments pour servir a VHistoire de FEgypte
Chretien ne, p. 167.

3 JULU ce^^.•^"^.co exeK^nr^H nT^-XA-inuDpoc ftxe
ni2^HJULtjopicT-Hc itye ^.JULeit-f •

^ See Amelineau, Etude sur le Christianisme en Egypte au Septihnie
Sikle, Paris, 1887, P- i47-

The Gods of the Book of the Dead 201

sight of which terrified the beholder, and to one of them
which had teeth Hke iron stakes was the wretched man
given to be devoured ; for five days in each week the
serpent crushed him with his teeth, but on the Saturday
and Sunday there was respite. Another picture of the
torments of Hades is given in the Martyrdom of Macarius
of Antioch, wherein the Saint, having restored to Hfe a man
who had been dead six hours, learned that when he was
about to die he was surrounded by fiends, ^^.rt2iHKA.rtoc,
some of whom had the faces of dragons, ft^o ^2^.p^,I<:(J0^t ,
others of lions, it^o n jul juloooti, others of crocodiles, ft^o
^eJULC^.^, and others of bears, ft^o ftX^.^OI. They tore
his soul from his body with great violence, and they fied
with it over a mighty river of fire, in which they plunged it
to a depth of four hundred cubits ; then they took it out
and set it before the Judge of Truth, jjl iiiKpiTHC JUL julhi.
After hearing the sentence of the Judge the fiends took it
to a place of outer darkness where no light came, and they
cast it into the cold where there was o-nashinof of teeth.
There it beheld a snake which never slept, qem" it ^.T
ertKOT, with a head like that of a crocodile, and which was
surrounded by reptiles which cast souls before it to be
devoured, epe rti(5"^.T-qi THpoT ^^.TOTq enrciT n
iti^lf-jfXH ^inr^H ijuuLoq ; when the snake's mouth was full
it allowed the other reptiles to eat, and though they rent
the soul in pieces it did not die. After this the soul was
carried into Amenta for ever, ^.JULeIt'f" cy<L erte^.^ The
martyr Macarius suffered in the reign of Diocletian, and the
MS. from which the above extract is taken was copied in
the year of the Martyrs 634 = a.d. 918. Thus, the old
heathen ideas of the Egyptian Tuat were applied to the
construction of the Coptic Hell.

^ See Hyvernat, Les Actes des Martyrs de rEgypte, Paris, 1886,
PP- 56, 57-

202 The Papyrus of Ani

THE PRINCIPAL GEOGRAPHICAL
AND MYTHOLOGICAL PLACES
IN THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

Abtu f J ^=^ ^ ^' the Abydos of the Greeks

(Strabo, XVII, i, 42), and the e^cjOT of the Copts, was the
capital of the eighth nome of Upper Egypt. It was the
seat of the worship of Osiris in Upper Egypt, and the
god was believed to have been buried there. For many
centuries its priests boasted the possession of the head of
Osiris, and the great annual miracle-play, in which the
sufferings, death, and resurrection of Osiris were acted,
drew thousands of people to the festival from every part of
Egypt. Local tradition made the sun to end its daily
course at Abydos, and to enter into the Tuat at this place
through a " gap " in the mountains called in Egyptian /ty,

-^ @ } These mountains lay near to the town ; and in

the Xllth dynasty it was believed that the souls of the dead
made their way into the Other World by the valley which
led through them to the Great Oasis, where some placed
the Elysian Fields.^ Under the New Empire the tomb of
King Khent at Abydos was identified by local tradition as
the tomb of Osiris, and it became the object of pilgrimages
from every part of Egypt. Under the XXI I nd dynasty
the cult of Osiris declined, and the town never regained
the importance which it had enjoyed under the XVIIIth
dynasty.

Amenta or Amentet, |^, or |^^. was originally

the place where the sun set, but subsequently the name
was applied to all the cemeteries which were built in the
stony plateaus and mountains on the western bank of the
Nile. Some believe that Amenta was, at first, the name of
a small district, without either funereal or mythological
signification. The Christian Egyptians, or Copts, used the
word Amenti to translate the Greek word Hades, to which

' See Brugsch, Z>ic/. Giog., p. 227.

2 See Maspero, Etudes de Mythologie^ t. I, p. 345

Places in the Book of the Dead 203

they attributed all the ideas which their heathen ancestors
had associated with the Amenta of the Book of the Dead.

Anu I , the Heliopolis of the Greeks (Herodotus, II,

3, 7, 8, 9, 59, 93 ; Strabo, XVII, i, 27 ff.), was the capital
of the thirteenth nome of Lower Egypt. The Hebrews
called it On (Genesis xli, 45, 50 ; xlvi, 20), Aven (Ezekiel
XXX, 17), and Beth-Shemesh (Jeremiah xliii, 13) ; this last

name is an exact translation of the Egyptian ^ | per Ret,

" house of the sun," which was also a designation of Anu.
The Copts have preserved the oldest name of the city
under the form CJOit. A Coptic bishop of this place was
present at the Council of Ephesus. The city of Anu seems
to have become associated with the worship of the sun in
prehistoric times. Already in the Vth dynasty its priest-
hood had succeeded in gaining supremacy for their religious
views and beliefs throughout Egypt, and from first to last it
maintained its position as the chief seat of the cult of Ra.
The body of the Aged One, a name of Osiris, reposed in
Anu, and there dwelt the Eye of Osiris. The deceased
made his way to Anu, where souls were joined unto bodies
in thousands, and where the blessed dead lived on celestial
food for ever.

An-rutf, or Naarutf .A^IJ ^ © ' \(1 ^ ^__ ®' ^^^^
a section of the Tuat of Herakleopolis ; the meaning of the
name is " the place where nothing groweth."

An-tes (?) I !^^' an unknown locality where ||1, the
tower of a Light-god (?), was adored.

Apu (1 □ v^ ©, the Panopolis of the Greeks (Jlavoiv WXts,

Strabo, XVII, i, 41), was the metropolis of the ninth nome
of Upper Egypt, and the seat of the worship of the god

^pjj, whose name is variously read Amsi, Khem, and

Menu. In ancient days it was famous as the centre for
stone cutting and linen weaving, and the latter industry
still survives among the modern Coptic population, who,
following their ancestors, call their city cyjULiJUL, which the
Arabs have rendered by Akhmim.

204 The Papyrus of Ani

Akert 0 , a common name for the abode of the

dead.

Bast n S, more fully Pa-Bast, or Per-Bast W^ ^'

the Bubastis of the Greek writers (Herodotus, II, 59, 137,
156, 166; Strabo, XVII, i, 27), the metropolis of the
eighteenth nome of Lower Egypt, and the seat of the
worship of Bast, a goddess who was identified with the soul

of Isis, ba en Ast ^^^/wwvv j The city is mentioned in

the Bible under the form npi "'D (Ezekiel xxx, 17), Pi-
beseth, which the Copts have preserved in their name for
the city, \K.o'x^i^(fT\ ; the Arabs call the place Tell Bastah

Het-benbent \ ^ jw^J (1 cr^i , the name given

to many sun-shrines in Egypt and the Sudan, and also to
one of the places in the Other World where the deceased
dwelt.

Het-Ptah-ka 8 LI, the sacred name of the city

of Memphis, the metropolis of the first nome of Lower
Egypt ; it means the " House of the ka of Ptah," and was
probably in use in the period of the 1st dynasty. Other

names for Memphis were j N ^> Aneb-hetchet, " the city of
the white wall " ; Men-nefer 1 A ; and Kha-nefert

/^AA^A^ 0 era

Kam-ur ^^ T=rT, a name given to the district of

the fourth and fifth nomes of Upper Egypt.

Khemenu |'||q(3 = =^' |I'| ^^ @, 2>., the city of the

eight great cosmic gods, the Hermopolis of the Greek writers
CEpixoirokLTLKr) ff)vkaKrj, Strabo, XVII, I, 41), was the
metropolis of the fifteenth nome of Upper Egypt. The old
Egyptian name for the city is preserved in its Coptic and
Arabic names, cyjULOTrt and Eshmunen.

Kher-aha ^ Qy^ © , a very ancient city which was

situated on the right bank of the Nile, a little to the south
of Anu, near the site of which the " Babylon of Egypt "

Places in the Book of the Dead 205

(^^.^nrXcort ftTe ^hjuli, the Ba/3u\wv, (f)povpLou ipvfivov
of Strabo, XVII, i, 30) was built.

Manu — ^ r^/^ or 4 "^ '^j is the name given to the
region where the sun sets, which was believed to be exactly-
opposite to the district of Bekha, J f^y^^' where he rose in

the east ; Manu is a synonym of west, just as Bekha is
a synonym of east.^

Nekhen ^ , or ® , the name of the shrine of the

goddess Nekhebet, which is supposed to have been near to
Nekheb, the capital of the third nome of Upper Egypt and
the Eileithyiaspolis of the Greeks.

Neter-khertet, or Khert Neter,

iTi Ci '^ C> d

^ or , ,

a common name for the abode of the dead ; it means the
'* divine subterranean place."

Pe , a district of the town of Per-Uatchet, "^^T"^ ^,

the Buto of the Greeks (Bouro?, Strabo, XVII, i, 18),
which was situated in the Delta.

Per-Asar ^ _^J\®> " House of Osiris," the Busiris

of the Greek writers. It was situated in the Delta, and
was the centre of the cult of Osiris in Lower Egypt.

Punt ,^^ ^A^' ^^^ tropical district which lay to the

south and east of Egypt, and which included, in later times,
a part of the Arabian peninsula and the eastern coast of
Africa along and south of Somaliland.

Ra-stau , -(o- ^^^ or ^^ ~^ © , a name g^iven to

the passages in the tomb which lead from this to the Other
World ; originally it designated the cemetery of Sakkarah
only, and its god was Seker, later Seker-Asar.

Sa ~~'*~'^=^^®> the Sais of the Greeks (Sat?,

Strabo, XVII, i, 23), the metropolis of the fifth nome of
Lower Egypt, and the seat of the worship of the goddess
Neith.

^ See Brugsch, Z>ic/. Geog., pp. 199, 260 ; Maspero, Etudes de
Myihologie, t. I, p. 332 ; and Aeg. Zeitschrift, 1864, pp. 73-76.

2o6 The Papyrus of Ani

^^^^^^ m ^©'°' ® ^c^®' '^^ LetopoHsof
the Greeks, and capital of the Letopolites nome (Strabo,
XYII, i, 30); it was the seat of the worship of Heru-ur

^. rrt, " Horus the elder," and one of the most important

religious centres in Egypt.

Sekhet-Aanru M,Z^ ^TiT'^W.'^®' ^'•^••
"Field of the Reeds," was a name originally given to the
islands in the Delta, or to the Oases, where the souls of the
dead were supposed to live. Here was the abode of the god
Osiris, who bestowed estates in it upon those who had been
his followers, and here the beatified dead led a new existence
and regaled themselves upon food of every kind, which was
eiven to them in abundance. Accordinor to the vionette of
the CXth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, the Sekhet-
Aanru is the third division of the Sekhet-hetepu, or "Fields
of Peace," which have been compared with the Elysian
Fields of the Greeks,

Set Amentet c^^^C^, ?>., " the mountain of the

Underworld," a common name of the cemetery, which was
usually situated in the mountains or desert on the western
bank of the Nile.

Suten-henen ,,^':ZC!^'^, more correctly Hensu, the

metropolis of the twentieth nome of Upper Egypt, called
by the Greeks Herakleopolis Magna (Strabo, XYII, i, 35).
The Hebrews mention the city Hanes (D3n, Isaiah xxx, 4)

as the representative of Upper Egypt, and in Coptic times
it was still of considerable size and importance ; the Copts
and Arabs have preserved the ancient name of the city
under the forms ^itHC and j^U&U A Anas.

Tanenet '^vjill.^^^, a district sacred to the ofods
Osiris and Ptah ; it was probably situated near Memphis.

Ta-tchesert 5^^=? ^^ "^ '^, i.e., the Holy Land, a
common name for the Other World.

Funeral Ceremonies 207

Tep , a district of the town Per-Uatchet T^'^,

the Buto of the Greeks (Strabo, XVII, i, 18), which was
situated in the Deha.

Tetu-t jMi <c:^3 v\ '^, a name given both to the

metropolis ^ of the ninth nome and to the metropolis ^ of
the sixteenth nome of Lower Egypt.

Tuat ^K., , a common name for the Other World.

FUNERAL CEREMONIES

In illustration of the ceremonies that accompanied the
burial of the dead the reader will find extracts from different
texts printed in the description of Plate V. To these may-
be added an extract from the great Liturgy of Funerary
Offerings which was in vogue in the Vth and Vlth dynasties,
and which commemorated the ceremonies that were
performed for the god Osiris. It is to be noticed how
closely the deceased is identified with Osiris, the type of
incorruptibility. Osiris takes upon himself " all that is
hateful " in the dead : that is, he accepts the burden of his
sins ; and the dead is purified by the typical sprinkling of
water.

Throughout the ceremony, the Eye of Horus,^ which is
represented by various substances, plays a prominent part,
for it is that which gave life to the heart of Osiris, and it
revivified the dead also. That portion of the ceremony
which was believed to procure the unlocking of the jaws
and the opening of the mouth of the deceased, or of the
statue which sometimes represented him, was performed
after the purification by water and incense had been effected ;

^ I.e., ri J) ® ' Pa-Asar, or Per-Asar, the Busiris of the Greeks.

^ -^•^•' b^^"^^-^ ]\]\ « ' B^""^b-Tett, the Mendes of the Greeks.

" On the Eyes of Horus, see Lefebure, Ze Mythe Osirien — Les Yeux
d'Horus, Paris, 1874 ; and Grebaut, Les deux yeux du Disque Solaire
{Recueil de Travaux, t. I, pp. 72, 87, 11 2-13 1).

2o8 The Papyrus of Ani

and hereby was he enabled to partake of the meat and
drink offerings, whereof the friends and relatives also
partook, in order that they might cement and seal their
mystic union with the dead and with the god with whom he
was identified.

Certain formulae were directed to be repeated four
times : a direction which takes us back to the time when
the Egyptians first divided the world into four parts,
each corresponding to one of the four pillars which held
up the sky, that is to say, to one of the four cardinal
points, East, South, West, and North, presided over by
a Horus-god. The deceased sought to obtain the assistance
of each of the Horus-gods, and to have the right to roam
about in his district ; hence the formula was repeated four
times. Originally four animals or four geese were sacri-
ficed, one to each god, but subsequendy East and North,
and West and South, were paired, and two bulls (or birds)
only were sacrificed, one of which was called the Bull of
the North, 1 and the other the Bull of the South. The
custom of four-fold repetition continued to the Ptolemaic
times and even later. The priest whose official tide was

kher keb, |/I\ J^, recited the prayers in the Tuat
^' ' ' cr^ ^ "^ of the tomb, and the sem or scfeui priest
%, presented the prescribed offerings.^

I. Osiris, everything that is hateful of X^ hath been
carried away for thee ;

Here sprinkle water.

that evil which was spoken in his name Thoth hath
advanced and carried it to Osiris. I have brought the
evil which was spoken in the name of X, and I have
placed it in the palm of thy hand.

^ This subject has been lucidly discussed by Maspero, Recueil de
Travaux, t. XII, pp. 78, 79.

2 For the text and translations, see Schiapare Hi, // Libro dei Funerali,
Rome, 1881-90 ; Maspero, Reauil de Travaux, t. Ill, pp. 179 ft". ; Sethe,
Fyramidentexte, Vol. I ; Budge, Liturgy of Funerary Offerings, London,
1909; Diimichen, Der Grabpalast, Leipzig, 1884, 1885.

* X = the deceased.

Funeral Ceremonies 209

Recite four times.

The fluid of life shall not be destroyed in thee, and
thou shalt not be destroyed in it.

Let him that advanceth advance with his Ka.
Horus advanceth with his Ka.
Set advanceth with his Ka.
Thoth advanceth with his Ka.

Recite four times and burn incense.

Sep advanceth with his Ka.
Osiris advanceth with his Ka.
Khent-ariti advanceth with his Ka.

Thy Tet u (backbone) shall advance with thy Ka.

Hail, X The arm of thy Ka is before thee.

Hail, X The arm of thy Ka is behind thee.

Hail, X The leg of thy Ka is before thee.

Hail, X The leg of thy Ka is behind thee.

Osiris, I have given unto thee the Eye of Horus,
and thy face is filled therewith, and the perfume of the
Eye of Horus is to thee.

This libation is for thee, Osiris, this libation is for
thee, Osiris X, coming forth

Here pour out from a vessel water in which
two grains of incense have been dissolved.

before thy son, coming forth before Horus. I have
come. I have brought unto thee the Eye of Horus,
that thy heart may be refreshed thereby. I have
brought it unto thee [under] thy sandals, and I have
presented unto thee the efflux which cometh forth from
thee. There shall be no stoppage to thy heart with it,

Recite four times.

and there shall be a coming forth to thee [of offerings]
through the word which is spoken, there shall be
a coming forth to thee [of offerings] through the word
which is spoken.

H. [Cleansing by] Semman ! [Cleansing by] Semman !
Open thy mouth, O X,

Here offer five grains of Nekheb incense
from the city of Nekheb.

VOL. I. P

2IO The Papyrus of Ani

and taste thereof in the halls of the god. Semman is
an emission of Horus. Semman is an emission of Set.
Semman is the stablisher of the heart of the two
Horus gods.

Recite four times.

III. Thou art cleansed with natron, and art like unto the
Followers of Horus. Thou art purified with natron,
and Horus is purified with natron, thou art purified
with natron, and Set is purified with natron.

Here offer five grains of natron of the North
from Shetpet.

IV. Thou art purified with natron, and Thoth is purified
with natron. Thou art purified with natron, and Sep
is purified with natron. Thou art purified with natron
and thou art established among them [i.e., the gods).
Thy mouth is like the mouth of a sucking calf on the
day of its birth.

V. Thou art purified with natron, and Horus is purified

with natron. Thou art purified with natron, and Set
is purified with natron. Thou art purified with natron,

Here offer one grain of natron.

and Thoth is purified with natron. Thou art purified
with natron, and Sep is purified with natron. Thou
art purified with natron, and thy Ka is purified with
natron.

Thou art purified with natron [Recite four times],
O thou who art established among thy brethren the
gods. Thy head is purified for thee with natron, and
thy bones have been thoroughly cleansed for thee, and
thou art filled with that which belongeth to thee.
Osiris, I have given unto thee the Eye of Horus, and
thy face is filled therewith, and the odour thereof
[is spread abroad].

VI. Osiris X, thy two jaw-bones which were separated have
been established.

Here present the Peseshkef ^ .

Funeral Ceremonies 211

VII. Osiris X, the two gods (Horus and Set) have opened
for thee thy mouth.

Here present the two iron instruments "^^
of the South and North.

VIII. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus hath been presented unto
thee, and with it the god passeth ; I have brought it
unto thee, place it in thy mouth.

Here offer cheese of the South and cheese
of the North.

IX. Osiris X, the nipple cakes of Osiris are presented unto
thee, the nipple of the breast of Horus, thou takest
into thy mouth ;

Here offer a small vessel of milk.

and the nipple of the breast of thy sister Isis ; the
emission from thy mother hast thou taken possession
of for thy mouth.

Here offer a jug of whey.

X. This libation is for thee, Osiris ; this libation is for

thee, Osiris X,

Here offer clean cold water of the North.

coming forth before thy son, coming forth before
Horus. I have come, and I have brought unto thee
the Eye of Horus, that thy heart may be refreshed
therewith. I have brought it and [set] it under thy
sandals. I have presented unto thee that which
floweth from thee. There shall be no stoppage to
thy heart whilst it is with thee, [Recite four times]
and there shall be a coming forth to thee [of offerings]
through the word which is spoken.

XI. [That which cometh forth] from the two Eyes of
Horus, the White and the Black, thou hast seized,
and when [these emissions] are in front of thee they
illumine thy face.

Here offer two jugs of wine, one black and
one white.

XII. Day hath made an offering unto thee in the sky;
the South and the North have caused an offering to

212 The Papyrus of Ani

be made unto thee. Night hath made an offering
unto thee in the sky ; the North and the South have
caused an offering to be made unto thee. An offering
hath been made unto thee, thou seest the offering, thou
hearest thereof There is an offering before thee, and
an offering behind thee ; there is an offering with thee.

Here offer a cake for the journey.

XIII. Osiris X, the white teeth of Horus are presented
unto thee so that they may fill thy mouth.

Here offer five bunches of onions, and recite
four times The King giveth an offering to the
Ka of X.

XIV. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto thee,
the bread which thou eatest.

Here offer the Uten cake.

XV. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto thee.
It hath been snatched from the hand of Set, and thou
hast taken possession of it

Here offer a white jug containing two
measures of wine.

for thy mouth, and thou hast opened thy mouth
therewith.

XVI. Osiris X, thy mouth is opened by that which floweth
from thee.

Here offer a black jug containing two
measures of wine.

XVII. Osiris X, there hath been presented unto thee that
which was pressed out from thee, that which hath
come forth from thee.

Here offer a black jug containing one
measure of beer.

XVI Ia. O Ra, may every kind of adoration which is made
to thee in heaven be made to X, and may everything
offered to thee be offered to the Ka of X, and may
every offering made to him be, at the same time, made
to thee.

Funeral Ceremonies 213

Here offer the holy table of offerings.

XVIII. [Osiris] X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee for thee to taste.

Here offer a Tept cake.

XIX. The darkness becometh dense, and more dense.

Here offer an Ah cake.

XX. [Osiris] X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto thee
to embrace thee.

Here offer a breast.

XXI. [Osiris] X, the Eye of Osiris, which was dehvered
from Set, and was rescued for thee, is presented unto
thee, and thou dost open thy mouth with it.

Here offer a white vessel containing one
measure of wine.

XXII. [Osiris] X, what was pressed out and came forth
from Osiris is presented unto thee.

Here offer a black vessel containing one
measure of beer.

XXIII. [Osiris] X, the Eye of Horus, which was rescued
for thee, is presented unto thee ; there is no iron
therein, it belongeth unto thee.

Here offer an iron vessel containing one
measure of beer.

XXIV. [Osiris] X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, that thou mayest be filled therewith.

Here offer a vessel containing one measure
of beer.

XXV. Osiris X, I have filled thine eye with metchet oil.

Recite four times, and present Seth-heb
unguent.

XXVI. Osiris X, what hath been pressed out of thy face
is presented unto thee.

Here offer Heken unguent.

XXVII. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, and Set is weakened thereby.

214 The Papyrus of Ani

Here offer ajar of bitumen.

XXVIII. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, that it may unite with thee.

Here offer a jar of Neshmen unguent.

XXIX. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto thee,
that the gods may be brought unto thee.

Here offer ajar of Tuatu unguent.

XXX. O ye Oils, ye Oils, which are on the forehead of
Horus [Say three times], set yourselves on the fore-
head of X, and make him to smell sweet through you.

Here offer cedar oil of the finest quality.

Let him become a Khu (Spirit) through you. Give
him power over his body, and let him open his eyes ;
let all the Spirits see him, and let them all hear his
name.

XXXI. Behold, Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is brought to
thee, it hath been seized on thy behalf that it may be
before thee.

Here offer the finest Libyan oil (Thehenu).

XXXII. Osiris X, with the Eye of Horus thine eyes are
painted, that they may be healthy in thy face.

Recite four times, and offer a bag of copper
eye paint, and one bag of stibium eye-paint.

XXXIII. Watch in peace, Taat watcheth in peace, she
watcheth

Here offer two swathings.

in peace. The Eye of Horus in Tep (Buto) is in
peace. The Eye of Horus in the temple of Neith
[in Sais] is in peace. Receive thou the milk-white,
bleached swathings of the goddess Ura. O swathings,
make Egypt to submit to X even as it doth to Horus,
make Egypt to fear X even as it feareth Set. Be ye
before X as god. Open a way for him at the head of
the Spirits, let him stand at their head. Come forward,
O Anpu Khenti Amenti, forward, to the Osiris X.

Funeral Ceremonies 215

Let him advance, let him advance with his Ka, for
Horus advanceth with his Ka, and Set advanceth with
his Ka.

Here burn incense.

As Thoth advanceth with his Ka, and Sep with his Ka,
and Osiris with his Ka, and Khenti-ariti with his Ka,
so shall thy Tet J advance with thy Ka.

XXXIV. Thoth hath returned bringing the Eye of Horus,
and he hath appeared therewith ;

Here offer a table of offerings.

he hath given the Eye of Horus, and he is content
therewith.

Here one shall enter with the Royal offering.

XXXV. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, and he is content.

Here present the Royal offering twice.

XXXVI. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, and he is content.

Here present two tables of offerings in the
Usekh Hall.

Here say : Thou hast made it to be under

THEE.

Here shall the assistants sit down by the
royal offerings.

XXXVII. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, it approacheth thy mouth.

Here present a cake and a breadcake.

XXXVIII. Osiris X, the Eye of Horus is presented unto
thee, protecting

Here offer one Tut cake.

The above extract will give the reader an idea of the
general character of the Liturgy of Funerary Offerings.
The priest presented a very large number of offerings, one
at a time, and as he did so he pronounced a formula in
which there was either some obscure allusion to the object

2i6 The Papyrus of Ani

which he was about to present, or some play upon words.
Besides the offerings already enumerated there were given :
a Rethu cake, a vessel of Tchesert drink, a vessel of
Khenem beer, a cake and a vessel of drink, a Shebu cake,
a sut joint, two vases of water, cakes of Bet incense, a Tun
cake, a Shens cake, two Heth cakes, two Nehra cakes,
four Tept cakes, four Peten cakes, four Shes cakes, four
Amta cakes, four Khenfu cakes, Hebent cakes, white flour,
Atet cakes, Pat cakes, a haunch of beef, a breast of an
animal, two ribs of beef, roasted flesh, a liver, a Nenshem
joint, a Ha joint, a forequarter joint, a Re goose, a Therp
goose, a Set goose, a Ser goose, a swallow (or dove), a Saf
cake, two Shat cakes, Nepat grain, Mest grain, Khenemes
beer or wine, Sekhpet grain, Pekh grain, baskets of figs.
Northern wine, White wine, Pelusium wine, Hetem wine,
Senu (Syene) wine, Hebnent wine, Asht fruit, Babat fruit,
mulberries, Tenbes cakes, fruits of all kinds, flowers of all
kinds, vegetables of all kinds, etc. Certain articles of dress
were also given, and we see clearly that the object of the
Liturgy was to supply the deceased with everything which
was considered to be necessary for his well-being when he
was alive. The P'yramid Texts and the 7nastabah tombs
prove that this Liturgy was in use about 3800 B.C., and
the papyri of the Roman Period supply copies of the
text which show that it remained unchanged in form in the
second century of our era. Nothing proves more clearly
than this fact that one of the fundamentals of the Egyptian
Religion was the belief in the efficacy of sacrifices and
offerings.

217

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI,
ITS DATE AND CONTENTS

m S4 ^) ^^^ found at
Thebes, and was acquired by me for the Trustees of
the British Museum in 1888. It measures 78 feet by
I foot 3 inches, is mounted under glass in thirty-seven
sheets, and bears the number 10470. It is the finest and
the longest of all the painted papyri inscribed with the
Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead. The Papyrus
of Nebseni (No. 9900) measures "]•] feet 7j- inches by
13 inches ; the Papyrus of Nu measures 65 feet 3|- inches
by I foot \\ inches (No. 10477) : the Papyrus of Hunefer
(No. 9901) measures 18 feet 10 inches by i foot 3|- inches ;
the Papyrus of Oenna (at Leyden) is about 50 feet long,
and the Dublin Papyrus published by Naville (D 9 of his
Todteyibiuli) is 24 feet 9 inches long. The Papyrus of
Ani is made of six distinct lengths of papyrus that vary
from 5 feet 7 inches to 26 feet 9 inches in length. The
material is composed of three layers of papyrus supplied by
plants that measured in the stalks about \\ inches in
diameter. The several lengths have been joined together
with great neatness, and the repairs and insertions (see
Plates XXV, XXVI) have been dexterously executed.
When brought to England the papyrus was of a very light
colour, similar to that of the Papyrus of Hunefer (No. 9901),
but after it was unrolled it became darker, the whites,
yellows, blues, and greens lost their intense vividness, and
certain parts of the sections contracted.

The papyrus contains a large selection of Chapters of
the Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead, nearly all
of which are accompanied by Vignettes ; text and Vignettes
have at top and bottom a border of two colours, red and
yellow, or yellow and orange. At the beginning and end
of the papyrus spaces of 6 and 1 1 inches respectively
VOL. I. Q

2i8 The Papyrus of Ani

were left blank ; these spaces were allowed so that in
unrolling the papyrus the opening Vignette might not be
damaged, and that in rolling it up the last Vignette might
not be damaged. The inscribed portion is to all intents
and purposes complete, and the loss of the few characters
that were damaged in unrolling (see Plates I, XV, XXIV)
does not interrupt the text. More than one scribe seems
to have been employed in copying it, but the uniformity of
the execution of the Vignettes suggests that they are all the
work of one man. Ani, as we know from his papyrus, was
a " veritable scribe," that is to say, his title of scribe was
not honorary, and it is probable that some of the Chapters
were copied by his own hand. The titles of the Chapters,
rubrics, catchwords, etc., are written in red, but the text
generally is in black. In some instances the artist who
painted the Vignettes has occupied so much space that the
scribe has been obliged to crowd the text {£.£'., in Plate XI),
and at times he has been obliged to write it on the border
(see Plates XIV, XVII). These facts suggest that the
Vignettes were drawn and painted before the text was
written.

The different sections of the papyrus were not all
originally written for Ani, for in several places his name
has been added by a later hand, e.^., in Plates XV, XVI,
XVIII, XXII, XXV, XXVIII, and XXXVI. As,
however, such additions do not occur in the first section,
which measures i6 feet 4 inches in length, it must be
concluded that this section was written expressly for him,
and that the others were some of those ready-written
copies in which blank spaces were left for the insertion of
the names of the deceased persons for whom they were
purchased. The scribe who filled in Ani's name in those
spaces wrote hurriedly, for in Plate XV he left himself no
space to write the word "Osiris" in the phrase, "Ani,

whose word is truth before Osiris," ^=^ 1 ®^ -^'^. In

Plate XVII he has written the name twice ; in Plate XVIII

he has omitted the determinative ^ ; in Plate XX he wrote

in Plate XXX he wrote [ 1 twice, probably with a view of

General Description 219

filling up the line ; in Plate XXXIV the writing of the
name is crooked, and the determinative is omitted ; and in
Plates XII and XXII the scribe has in two places forgotten
to write the name altogether. It seems tolerably clear that
all the sections of the papyrus were written about the same
time. The variations in the depth of the space occupied
by the text, and the difference in the colours of the border
lines prove that the best scribes did not bind themselves by
any very strict rule of uniformity in such matters. The
text contains many serious errors. By some extraordinary
oversight it includes two copies of the XVIIIth Chapter,
one with a most unusual introduction, and the other without
any introduction at all. In the one the gods are grouped
so as to be near the sections of the text referring to them,
and in the other the gods are all seated in one row.
A large section of Chapter XVII, one of the most
important of the whole Book, has been omitted, and it
seems as thouofh the scribe did not notice the omission !
The texts relating to the gods of the mummy chamber
contain so many mistakes that portions of them are wholly
untranslatable. Mistakes in spelling and slips of the pen
are very common. Such omissions and mistakes, however,
occur in papyri older than that of Ani, for in the Papyrus
of Nebseni (Brit. Mus. No. 9900), which was written at
Memphis early in the XVIIIth dynasty, of Chapters L,
LVI, LXIV, and CLXXX two copies, of Chapters C
and CVI three copies, and of Chapter XVII two extracts,
are given in different parts of the papyrus.

The Papyrus of Ani is undated, and it is impossible to
collect from it any exact data whereby it might be assigned
to the reign of any particular king. An examination of
the papyri of the Theban Period preserved in the British
Museum shows that two distinct classes of Book of the
Dead papyri existed in the XVIIIth dynasty. In the first,
both text and Vignettes are traced in black outline, as in the
Papyrus of Nebseni, the rubrics, catchwords, etc., alone
being in red colour ; in the second, the text only, is in
black, the rubric, titles, catchwords, etc., are in red colour,
and the Vignettes are beautifully painted in a number of
bright colours. To the latter class the Papyrus of Ani
belongs, but, if the text and Vignettes be compared with
those found in any other early Theban papyri, it will be

Q 2

220 The Papyrus of Ani

seen that it occupies an independent position in all respects.
Though agreeing" in the main with the papyri of the
XVIIIth dynasty in respect of textual readings, the Papyrus
of Ani has peculiarities of spelling, etc., which are not found
in any of them. The handwriting of the first section, at
least, suggests the best period of the XVIIIth dynasty;
but as the scribe forms some of the hieroglyphs in a way
peculiarly his own, the palaeographic evidence on this point
is not decisive. That the papyrus belongs to the period
that produced such documents as the Papyrus of Neb-qet
(ed. Dev6ria, Paris, 1872), and the Papyrus of Qenna
(ed. Leemans, Leyden, 1882), i.e., to some period of the
XVIIIth dynasty, is tolerably certain ; and it is impossible
not to assume that it is older than the Papyrus of Hunefer,
which was written during the reign of Seti I. For, though
belonging to the same class of highly decorated papyri, the
execution of the Vignettes is finer and more careful, and the
free, bold forms of the hieroglyphs in the better written
sections more closely resemble those of the texts inscribed
in stone under the greatest kings of the XVIIIth dynasty.
The " Lord of the Two Lands," i.e., the king of Upper and
Lower Egypt, mentioned in Plate IV, is probably one of
the last kings of the XVIIIth dynasty, and accordingly we
may place the period of the Papyrus of Ani between
1450 B.C. and 1400 B.C.

Of the birth and parentage of Ani we know nothing,
but it is most probable that his family was undistinguished,
and that he owed his high official position, under the king's
favour, to his ability and tact. His titles are : —

I. 1 fiiJi / — I, "veritable royal scribe," i.e., he was

a " royal scribe," who really worked at his profession, and
not one who enjoyed the honorary rank of " royal scribe,"
a title which was often bestowed by the king on officials of
high birth and rank.

(or, assessor) of the divine offerings of all the gods." By
this title it seems that we must understand that Ani was
registrar-in- chief of the offerings that were made by the
devout to all the gods of Thebes. It is probable that it
also fell to his duty to assess the amounts of produce, grain,

General Description 221

cattle, etc., which the various priesthoods of Egypt
demanded from wealthy Egyptians as obligatory contri-
butions to the revenues of their gods.

©, "overseer of the granaries

^ffl

W Ml

of the Lords of Abydos." The offerings of grain, dhura,
wheat, etc., were delivered by their givers to the temple
granaries, or probably to a single granary which served as
a general storehouse for the grain that was the property of
the various gods. This granary was very large, and the
management of it must have demanded great knowledge
and ability on the part of its manager.

4- fir^ls^ — TiT!©' "'"^"^^ ""^ ^^^ ^^''^"^

offerings of the Lords of Thebes." If the wealth possessed
by the temples of Thebes under the XVIIIth dynasty be
considered for a moment, it will at once be clear that this
office of Ani was one of very great importance, and one
demanding not only the highest ability, but the highest
integrity on the part of the holder.

Tutu, l^ ll^rl)' the wife of Ani, is called "lady of
the house," , and shemat en Amen, -^^r^ -^wwv \\ jj ,

i.e., " singing woman of Amen." The first title shows that
Tutu was Ani's chief wife, if he had more than one wife,
and the second that she was one of the ladies of good family
who were officially attached to the service of Amen-Ra, the
king of the gods, at Thebes. She attended in the temple,
and was one of the ladies of the choir who sang hymns to
Amen and portions of the Liturgy. She Is usually repre-
sented carrying a sistrum, which she rattled as she sang in
the choruses. The wires of the sistrum made a peculiar
sound which was believed to be efficacious in driving away
fiends from the sanctuary. Thus, though Ani was a lay
scribe, his wife was a priestess, and it is probable that he
owed some of the offices which he enjoyed to her influence.

The contents of the Papyrus of Ani may be divided
into two parts : —

Part I contains : A Hymn to Ra, introductory to the
Judgment Scene (Plate I), a Hymn to Osiris, also intro-
ductory to the Judgment Scene (Plate H) ; the former has
two Vignettes, the first being on Plate I and the second on

222 The Papyrus of Aiii

Plate II. The second Vignette represents the Sunrise in
the physical world, and the resurrection of Osiris and also
of the deceased, who is identified with Osiris and is called
" the Osiris," in the Other World. This Vignette is
commonly known as Chapter XVI, and, as it immediately
follows the Hymn to Ra, it shows that the scribe regarded
this introductory hymn as a form of Chapter XV.
Following the hymns comes the great Judgment Scene,
which is supposed to take place in the Hall of Maati, or the
Hall of the Two Truth-goddesses, at the end of which
Osiris sits enthroned within his shrine. The weighing of
the heart of Ani is depicted in Plate III, and the presenta-
tion of Ani to Osiris by Horus, the son of I sis, after he has
been declared to be a speaker of the truth by Thoth and
the Gods of Anu, on Plate IV. The Judgment Scene m
the Papyrus of Ani is more fully represented and better
described than in any other papyrus containing the Theban
Recension. Usually the Introductory Section opens with
a Vignette of Osiris and a short address or hymn to the
god, but here the Hymn to Ra precedes everything. This
fact suggests that at the close of the XVIIIth dynasty,
under the influence of the priests of Amen, the Sun-god
began to invade the domains of Osiris, and to assert his
sovereignty over Night and Dead-land as well as over Day
and the Land of the Living.

Part II contains a long series of Chapters of the
Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead, which appear
in the following order : —

I, with Vignette, Plates V and VI ; XXII, Plate VI ;
Rubric of LXXII, Plate VI ; XVII, with a long series of
Vignettes, Plates VII-X ; CXLVII, the Seven Arits, with
Vignettes, Plates XI and XII ; CXLVI, the Ten Pylons,
with Vignettes, Plates XI and XII ; XVIII, Introductions,
with Vignettes, Plate XII ; XVIII, with Vignettes, Plates
XIII and XIV; XXI 1 1, with Vignette, Plate XV ; XXIV,
Plate XV; XXVI, with Vignette, Plate XV; XXXb,
Plates III and XV; LXI, with Vignette, Plate XV;
LIV, with Vignette, Plate XV; XXIX, with Vignette,
Plate XV ; XXVII, with Vignette, Plates XV and XVI ;
LVIII. with Vignette. Plate XVI; LIX, with Vignette,
Plate XVI ; XLIV, with Vignette. Plate XVI ; XLV,
with Vignette, Plate XVI; XLV I, with Vignette, Plate XVI;

General Description 223

L, with Vignette, Plate XVI; XCIII, with Vignette,
Plate XVII ; XCI I Ia, with Vignette, Plate XVII; XLIII.
Plate XVII; LXXXIX, with Vignette, Plate XVII;
XCI, with Vignette, Plate XVII ; XCI I, with Vignette,
Plate XVII; LXXIV, with Vignette, Plate XVIII;
VIII, with Vignette, Plate XVIII ; II, with Vignette,
Plate XVIII; IX, with Vignette, Plate XVIII ; CXXXII,
with Vignette, Plate XVI 1 1 ; X or XLVIII, with Vignette,
Plate XVIII ; XV, with three Vignettes, Plates XVIII-

XXI ; CXXXII I, with two Vignettes, Plates XXI and

XXII ; CXXXIV, with Vignette, Plate XXII ; Vignette of
the Ladder, Plate XXII ; XVIII bis, with Vignettes, Plates

XXIII and XXIV ; CXXIV, with Vignette, Plate XXIV ;
LXXXVI, with Vignette, Plate XXV; LXXVII, with Vig-
nette, Plate XXV; LXXVIII, with Vignette, Plates XXV
and XXVI; LXXXVII, with Vignette, Plate XXVII;
LXXXVIII, with Vignette, Plate XXVII; LXXXII,
with Vignette, Plate XXVII ; LXXXV, with Vignette,
Plate XXVII ; LXXXII I, with Vignette, Plate XXVII ;
LXXXIV. with Vignette, Plate XXVIII ; LXXXIa, with
Vignette, Plate XXVIII ; LXXX, with Vignette, Plate
XXVIII ; CLXXV, with Vignette, Plate XXIX ; CXXV,
Introduction, with two Vignettes, Plates XXIX and XXX ;
CXXV, The Negative Confession, with four Vignettes,
Plates XXXI and XXXII; XLII, with Vignette, Plate
XXXII : Rubric to XLII or CXXV, with Vignette, Plate
XXXII; CLV, with Vignette, Plate XXXIII; CLVI,
with Vignette, Plate XXXIII ; XXIXb, with Vignette,
Plate XXXIII ; CLXVI, with Vignette, Plate XXXIII ;
CLI, with a complete series of Vignettes, Plates XXXIII
and XXXIV ; CX, portions only, with Vignettes, Plates

XXXIV and XXXV; CXLVIII, with Vignettes, Plates

XXXV and XXXVI ; CLXXXV, with Vignette, Plate
XXXVI; CLXXXVI, with Vignette, Plate XXXVII.
The titles of these Chapters, arranged according to the
numeration introduced by Lepsius in his Todtenbuch, are
as follows : —

Chapter I. " Here begin the Chapters of Coming
" Forth by Day, and of the songs of praise and glorifying,
" and of coming forth from and of going into the glorious
" Khert-Neter in the Beautiful Amenti. It shall be recited
" on the day of the burial ; going in after coming forth."

224 The Papyrus of Ani

See Plates V and VI. The papyri belonging to the early
part of the XVIIIth dynasty call this Chapter "The
" Chapter of entering into the presence of the Tchatchau

•• Chiefs of Osiris." ^ -" ^ A •=" i ! i i i , /^ • "^^^^
large numbers of the men attending the bier and of the
weeping women are peculiar to the Ani Papyrus.

Chapter II. " The Chapter of Coming Forth by Day
and of living after death." See Plate XVIII.

Chapter VI. In the Papyrus ot Ani, this Chapter is
included in Chapter CLI. See Plate XXXII. In the
Papyrus of Nebseni (Brit. Mus. No. 99Cxd) the Chapter
stands by itself, and is entided, "The Chapter of making the
Ushabti figure to perform work for a man in Khert-Neter,"

Chapter VIII. "The Chapter of making a way
through Amenti, and of coming forth by day." See
Plate XVIII. This composition is sometimes incorporated
with another Chapter.

Chapter IX. " The Chapter of Coming Forth by Day,
having passed through the Amhet chamber." See Plate
XVIII. The Vignette in the Papyrus of Ani is similar
to that which stands at the head of Chapters VIII and IX
in other papyri of this period.

Chapter X, or Chapter XLVIII. "Another Chapter
" to be said by a man who cometh forth by day against his
" enemies in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVIII.

Chapter XV. i. "A Hymn of Praise to Ra when he
riseth in the eastern sky." See Plate I. This version of
the Chapter is peculiar to the Papyrus of Ani.

Chapter XV. 2. "A Hymn of Praise to Osiris Un-
Nefer, the great god who dwelleth in Abydos." See
Plate II. Osiris is in this hymn regarded as one of the
two forms of Ra, and is therefore included in this Chapter.

Chapter XV. 3. " A Hymn of Praise to Ra when he
" riseth in the eastern sky, and when he setteth in the land
" of life." See Plates XVIII-XXI.

Chapter XVI. Owing to the numbering of the
Chapters by Lepsius this consists of a Vignette only, which,
as has been already said, belongs to Chapter XV, or to that
part of it which refers to the rising sun. It may be noted

General Description 225

in passing that the Papyrus of Ani, like many ancient
papyri of the Book of the Dead, contains no Vignette of
the Sunset. See Plate II.

Chapter XVII. " Here begin the praises and
" glorifyings of coming out from and of going into the
" glorious Khert-Neter in the Beautiful Amenti, of coming
" forth by day in all the transformations which it may please
" the deceased to assume, of playing at draughts, and of
" sitting in the Set chamber, and of coming forth as a
"living heart-soul." See Plates VII-X. This is one of
the oldest and most important Chapters of the Theban
Recension, and in the form here given contains the dogmas
about God and the creation of the sun, moon, stars,
and earth, and about Osiris, and the gods and goddesses
who were associated with him, as formulated by the priest-
hood of Ra at Heliopolis. The variant readings may
represent the views of the priesthood of Thebes. A large
section of the text is, quite unaccountably, omitted by the
scribe, and the missing lines have been supplied from the
Papyrus of Nebseni.

Chapter XVIII. This is without a title in the Papyrus
of Ani, a fact which suggests that the Chapter was regarded
by the Theban scribes as the continuation of Chapter XVII.
A few papyri give it a title, viz., " The Chapter of entering
into the presence of the Tchatchau Chiefs." The Papyrus
of Ani contains two copies of this Chapter. In the first
the gods of the towns are grouped in a series of Vignettes,
each of which stands near the Section which it illustrates.
This copy is preceded by an Introduction, which is peculiar
to the Papyrus of Ani. The Anmutef and Sameref priests
are seen introducing Ani to the gods, with appropriate
speeches, and the addresses of Ani are given. See Plates
XII-XIV. In the second copy the gods are not separated
into groups, but are arranged in a row above the text ; a
few of the gods mentioned in the text are omitted in this
copy. See Plates XXIII and XXIV.

Chapter XXII. "The Chapter of giving a mouth to
the Osiris Ani, the scribe and registrary of all the gods." See
Plate VI. This Chapter is without Vignette in the Papyrus
of Ani, and it is remarkable that it follows Chapter I.
Perhaps the concluding passage of Chapter I, which deals
with offerings, suggested that the text that would provide

226 The Papyrus of Ani

Ani with a mouth to eat the same should follow imme-
diately.

Chapter XXI 1 1. " The Chapter of opening the mouth
of the Osiris, the scribe Ani " ; this is a kind of supplement
to the preceding Chapter. See Plate XV.

Chapter XXV. "The Chapter of bringing words of
power unto the Osiris Ani in Khert-Neter." See Plate XV.
As in other ancient Theban papyri this Chapter is without
Vignette in the Papyrus of Ani.

Chapter XXVI. "The Chapter of giving a heart
unto the Osiris Ani in Khert-Neter." See Plate XV. The
Vignette to this Chapter in the Papyrus of Ani is probably
unique.

Chapter XXVII. "The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be snatched away from him in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XV. The Vignette to this Chapter in the Papyrus
of Ani is uncommon.

Chapter XXIX. "The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be snatched away from him in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XV. No other copy of this Chapter is at present
known.

Chapter XXIXb. "The Chapter of a heart of car-
nelian." See Plate XXXI 1 1.

Chapter XXXb. " The Chapter of not letting the
heart of a man be driven away from him in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XV. An imperfect duplicate copy is also given
in the Judgment Scene. See Plate III.

Chapter XLII. Only a portion of the Chapter is
given, and that in tabular form, and without title. See
Plate XXXI I. In the older papyri the tide of the Chapter
is "The Chapter of repulsing slaughter in Hensu "

;^4.^^X\^;^ii)=(the Herakleopolis

of the Greeks).

Chapter XLIII. "The Chapter of not letting the
head of a man be cut off from his body in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XVII. As in other Theban papyri this Chapter
is without Vignette in the Papyrus of Ani.

Chapter XLI V. " The Chapter of not dying a second
time in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVI. Chapter CLXXV
has the same tide. The Vignette is peculiar to the Papyrus
of Ani.

General Description 227

Chapter XLV. " The Chapter of not suffering cor-
ruption in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVI. Among
Theban papyri the Vignette is peculiar to the Papyrus
of Ani.

Chapter XLV I. " The Chapter of not perishing, and
of becomino- alive in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVI.
Among Theban papyri the Vignette is peculiar to the
Papyrus of Ani.

Chapter XLVIII. "Another Chapter of one who
Cometh forth by day against his foes in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XVIII. Among Theban papyri the Vignette is
peculiar to the Papyrus of Ani. The text of this Chapter
agrees rather with the second version in the Papyrus
of Nebseni than with that of Brit. Mus. No. 9964. As
the Papyrus of Ani is of Theban origin this was to be
expected.

Chapter LIV. "The Chapter of providing air in
Khert-Neter." See Plate XV. Another copy of this
Chapter published by Naville {pp. cit., Einleiiung, p. 134)
is without Vignette.

Chapter LVIII. " The Chapter of breathing the air,
and of having power over the water in Khert-Neter."
See Plate XVI. Copies of this Chapter are very rare.

Chapter LIX. "The Chapter of breathing the air,
and of having power over the water in Khert-Neter." See
Plate XVI. Copies of this Chapter are very rare.

Chapter LXI. "The Chapter of not letting the soul
of a man be taken away from him in Khert-Neter." See
Plate XV. The Vignette is similar to that found in the
Papyrus of Sutimes.

Chapter LXXII--Rubric. See Plate VI.

Chapter LXXIV. " The Chapter of walking with
the legs and of coming forth upon the earth," See
Plate XVI 1 1.

Chapter LXXVII. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into a golden hawk." See Plate XXV.

Chapter LXXVII I. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into the hawk that is divine." See
Plates XXV and XXVI.

Chapter LXXX. " The Chapter of making the trans-
" formation into the god who produceth light to illumine
" the darkness." See Plate XXVIII.

228 The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter LXXXIa. " The Chapter of making the
transformation into the lotus (or lily)." See Plate XXV III.
The pool of water in the Vignette is uncommon.

Chapter LXXXII. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into the god Ptah." See Plate XXVII.
As in other papyri of the same period this Chapter has
a Vignette.

Chapter LXXXIII. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into the Benu bird (phoenix .'*)." See
Plate XXVI I. This Chapter lacks the addition that is
found in the Papyrus of Sutimes ; several other papyri also
lack the addition.

Chapter LXXXIV. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into a heron." See Plate XXVI.

Chapter LXXXV. " The Chapter of making the
transformation into the soul of Temu." See Plate XXVII.
The Vignette of this Chapter is similar to that of the
Papyrus of Tura, surnamed Nefer-uben-f, of the XVIIIth
dynasty.

Chapter LXXXVI. " The Chapter of making the
transformation into the swallow." See Plate XXV.

Chapter LXXXVI I. "The Chapter of making the
" transformation into the serpent Sa-ta {i.e., Son of the
" Earth)." See Plate XXVII.

Chapter LXXXVIII. "The Chapter of making the
transformation into a crocodile." See Plate XXVII.

Chapter LXXXIX. " The Chapter of causing the
soul to be united to its body in Khert-Neter." See
Plate XVII. The two standards for censers, which stand
one at the head and one at the foot of the bier, are peculiar
to the Papyrus of Ani.

Chapter XCI. " The Chapter of not letting the soul
of a man be kept captive in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVI I.

Chapter XCI I. "The Chapter of opening the tomb
" to the soul and the shadow, of coming forth by day, and
" of getting power over the legs." See Plate XVlI. The
Vignette of this Chapter is unusual and of great interest,
for in it Ani's soul accompanies his shadow.

Chapter XCI 1 1. " The Chapter of not letting a man
travel to the East in Khert-Neter." See Plate XVII.
The arrangement of the Vignette of this Chapter is peculiar
to the Papyrus of Ani.

General Description 229

Chapter XCIIIa. "Another Chapter." See Plate
XVII.

Chapter CX. " Here begin the Chapters of the
" Sekhet-Hetepet, and the Chapters of Coming Forth by
*' Day, and of going into and coming forth from Khert-
" Neter, and of arriving in the Sekhet-Aaru, and of being
" in peace in the great city wherein are fresh breezes."
See Plate XXXIV. Many of the details of the Vignette
are peculiar to the Papyrus of Ani, and the text of the
Chapter given only contains a few of its opening lines.

Chapter CXXIV. " The Chapter of going into the
presence of the Tchatchau Chiefs of Osiris." See
Plate XXIV. One god is wanting in the Vignette.

Chapter CXXV, Part i. " The Chapter of entering
into the Hall of Maati ; a Hymn to Osiris." See
Plate XXX. The text of this part as found in the
Papyrus of Ani is not met with elsewhere.

Chapter CXXV, Part n. The " Negative Confession"
[without title]. The Vignette possesses four sub- Vignettes,
which are peculiar to the Papyrus of Ani. See Plate XXXI.

Chapter CXXV. [Omitted in the Papyrus of Ani.]

Chapter CXXXII. " The Chapter of making a man
to return to see again upon the earth." See Plate XVI 1 1.

Chapter CXXXIII. ["A Chapter] to be said on the
[first] day of the moon." See Plate XXI.

Chapter CXXXIII— Rubric. See Plate XXII.

Chapter CXXXIV. "A Hymn of praise to Ra on
the [first] day of the month wherein he saileth in the boat."
See Plate XXII.

Chapter CXLVI. " The Chapter of the Pylons in
the House of Osiris that is in Sekhet-Aaru." See
Plates XI and XII.

Chapter CXLVI I. ["A Chapter which is to be said
when Ani cometh to the Arits."] See Plates XI and XII.

Chapter CXLVIII. ["The Chapter of providing
Ani with food." Without title in the Papyrus of Ani.]

Chapter CLI. A series of texts containing the
speeches which are made by the gods, goddesses, and
amulet-spirits who protect the mummy of Ani on its bier
and in the mummy chamber. See Plates XXXIII and
XXXIV. Some of these texts are so corrupt as to be in
places unintelligible. Many of the details of the Vignettes

230 The Papyrus of Ani

are incorrect, and the artist appears not to have understood
the general plan of the Vignette which he copied.

Chapter CLV, " The Chapter of a Tet of gold." See
Plate XXXIII.

Chapter CLVI. " The Chapter of a Tet of carnelian."
See Plate XXXI 1 1.

Chapter CLXVI. "The Chapter of the headrest
which is to be placed under the head of Ani." See
Plate XXXIII.

Chapter CLXXV. " The Chapter of not dying a
second time." See Plate XXIX. This Chapter is incom-
plete, and breaks off in the middle of a sentence. It is,
however, most valuable, for only one other copy of it is
known. This second copy is found in a papyrus at Leyden,
but, as the beginnings and ends of a large number of lines
are wanting, it is impossible to make a connected translation
from it.

Chapter CLXXXV. " A Hymn of Praise to Osiris
Khenti Amenti Un-Nefer, the dweller in Abtu." See
Plate XXXVI.

Chapter CLXXXVI. [A Hymn of Praise to Hathor
in her character of goddess of the Beautiful Amenti.] See
Plate XXXVII.

231

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES

PLATE I

Vignette: The scribe Ani '^'^OQ^' standing
with his hands raised in adoration before a table of offerings
consisting of haunches of beef cv, loaves of bread and

cakes A, Q, (f=^, c^D, Q, {}, vases of wine Q, oil ^0=,

fruits, vegetables, lilies W, ^, and other flowers. He

wears a close-fitting tunic covered with a white and saffron-
coloured garment, which reaches to his ankles ; from the
shoulders hang long fringes. On his head is a wig that
reaches his shoulders, about his neck hangs a necklace, and
he wears bracelets and armlets. He stands barefooted in
the presence of his god, and he is supposed to be in a state
of ceremonial purity. Behind him stands his wife, " The
Osiris, the lady of the house, the singing woman of Amen,"

r|^ ifl ^ '^■^^^ (1 , who was called Tutu

] ^ ] ^ ^. (For the name see Plate XIX.) This

description of Tutu shows that she was probably dead
when the papyrus was written, and her title " lady of the
house " indicates that she was either Ani's sole wife, or
that she was the chief of his wives. Tutu wears a long
plain linen garment that reaches to her feet, and her long,
wavy black hair flows down from her head over her
shoulders. A cluster of lilies, or lotus, lies above her hair,
with their blossoms projecting over her forehead. Above is
a small object, made probably of reeds or light wood, which
contains a ball of scented unguent ; this melted by degrees
and ran down over the head and shoulders, diffusing a
sweet odour, and affording Tutu pleasure. She wears

232

The Papyrus of Ani

bracelets and armlets. In her right hand she grasps a
bunch of flowers and a sistrum a, and in her left are a

vine-branch and a me^idt ^ . The mendt was an object

that was sometimes offered to
the eods with the sistrum. It
was presented to guests at a
feast by their host, and was
regularly carried by priestesses
at religious festivals. It was
sometimes hunor round the neck,
and sometimes carried in the
left hand. It was believed to
convey to the holder virility
and strength, and was originally

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

an emblem of sexual pleasure. See
the paper by Lef^bure, " Le Menat,
et le Nom de I'eunuque," in Proc.
Soc. Bibl. Arch., 1891, pp. 333-349.
Many very fine examples of the
7}2endt may be seen in the British
Museum, e.g., Nos. 17 166, 13950,
8172, 8173, 20607, 18109, etc. Tutu
carries the sistrum and mendt as
symbols of her position at Thebes
as "singing woman" of Amen-Ra,
the King of the Gods. She shook
the sistrum during the services in
the sanctuary, and the rattling noise
made by the wires drove away the

evil spirits who wished to
obstruct the service of the
god. She carried the viendt
as a symbol of her allegiance
to Amen-Ra, the god of viri-
lity, generation, and concep-
tion.

Text : A version of
Chapter XV. In the older
papyri the opening section is
always a hymn to Osiris, the
King and Judge of the dead, but at the close of the

Fir.. X.

The Sunrise

233

XVIIIth dynasty, when the power of Ra, or Amen-Ra,

was paramount at Thebes, a hymn to Ra was given the

place of honour in hieroglyphic papyri, which always begin

at the left-hand end of the rolls. The subject of the

hymn is the glory of Ra, who is identified with Khepera,

Tatun, and other great cosmic gods. The defeat of Aapep,

the great adversary of

Ra, is commemorated

in boastful terms, and

the overthrow of all the

fiends of the Evil One

is frequently referred to.

The commonest_ form

of the monster Aapep

is a crocodile (Fig. i),

which crouched by the pjc ^

path of the sun at

dawn ready to swallow up the solar disk. Next we see

him in the form of a huge speckled python (Fig. 2), then

as an ordinary serpent (Fig. 3), and finally as a huge

serpent of many folds biting the neck of the Ass, which

represents the Sun-god (Fig. 4).

PLATE II

Vignette : A scene representing the sunrise. Here
we see the disk of the sun O, resting on the top of the loop
of the symbol of "life" ■¥-, and supported by two human

arms and hands. The ankh ■¥-, rests upon the top of the

Tet K , which rests upon a reed mat. The Tet represents

Osiris, who was, in one aspect, the dead sun of yesterday,
and from it proceeds the power of " life," which sends forth
the solar disk on its course. On the upper part of the Tet

are the two titchats ^^1^2, or Eyes of the Sun and

Moon, with T, the symbol of "good," between them. On

each side of the solar disk are three apes, with their paws
raised in adoration of the great luminary. These sing to
the sun in the form of the Spirits of the Dawn whilst he is
rising, but as soon as he has risen they turn into apes. On

VOL. I.

234

The Papyrus of Ani

the left of the Tet is the goddess Isis ]^ T (VS . and on the

right the goddess Nebt-het, or Nephthys ; each goddess
kneels on the emblem of "gold," and each has her hands
raised in adoration of the Sun-god. Over all is stretched

the vault of the sky '(^ "^^^^^xy*- This Vignette belongs,

properly speaking, to the Hymn to Ra on Plate I, which

Ani was intended to say as the sun rose.

Fig. I is the Vignette of the Sunrise as it is found in
the Papyrus of Hunefer. Here the sun
appears in the well-known form of a
hawk, with the solar disk encircled by
a serpent upon his head. The apes
that adore him are seven in number,

and are called '' A?nhetet-Rd'' nr ^^

^Z^\ ^i- Below the hawk
stands the Tet of Osiris, which is here
provided with a pair of human arms
and hands holding the symbols of sove-
reignty, a crook | , and a flail /\. On

each side of the Tet stands a goddess,
that on the left of it being Isis, and

that on the right Nephthys. The legends read : " I am

thy sister Isis," " I am thy sister Nephthys."

Text : A Hymn to Osiris. This is a short com-
position that merely enumerates the titles of Osiris, and
refers to him in his character of the everlasting ruler of
heaven and giver of life to men. The Vignette is prac-
tically a repetition of that on Plate I.

YlG. I.

PLATE III

Vignette : Scene of the Weighing of the Heart

of the deceased in the Judgment Hall of Osiris. Ani and
his wife Tutu enter the Hall of Maati, wherein the heart O ,
emblematic of the conscience, is to be weighed in the
Balance against the ostrich feather, emblematic of " law,"

" truth," etc. Above, twelve gods, each holding a sceptre |,

The Weighing of the Heart 235

are seated upon thrones before a table of offerings of fruit,
flowers, etc. Their names are : —

1. ^C llj'^ Heru-Khuti (Harmakhis), the

great god in his boat.

2. K^ I v\ Jj Temu, the father of the gods of

Anu.

4. P« '^ziy ^ Tefnut, the lady of heaven.

5. ^ J Jj Keb, the Earth-god.

6 ^ "^.^37^=^ Nut, the Sky-goddess.

7. j| p,^ AsT(Isis), wife and sister of Osiris.

Nebt-Het, Nephthys, sister of
Osiris.

^' ^s I I HoRUS, the great god, son of

Osiris.

10. 1^1 Ci£^ft Het-Hert (Hathor), lady of

Amentet.

11. §%^w=J Hu, god of taste.

12. ^m^ j) Sa, CTod of feelino-.

The Balance is set in the middle of the Hall. Upon the

beam sits the dog-headed ape ^ , the associate of Thoth, the

" Lord of Khemenu, the just judge," ^^3^ zz .X i "^ 3 1.

The god Anubis, jackal-headed, examines the " tongue "
or pointer of the Balance, the suspending bracket of which
is in the form of an ostrich feather, emblematic of truth.
On the left of the Balance, facing Anubis, stands the god

Shai liU "^ ^ Q w| ^ ^^^ represents Ani's guardian angel,

or his luck, fate, or destiny, and above it, resting on a
small sepulchral building, is a rectangular object, like a slab

R 2

236

The Papyrus of Ani

or box, with a human head.

1 ,

This is probably the box that
held Ani's navel string,^ j~^. Behind these stand the
goddesses Meskiienet fUl ® «&, and Rennt^AA^o^D

the former presided over the birth of Ani, and the latter

acted as his wet-nurse, or

foster mother

Behind the
is the soul of Ani, in
form of a human-

the lorm 01 a

headed bird standinof on a

sepulchral building called

"Serekh" p^S-. On

the right of the Balance,
behind Anubis, stands
Thoth, the self-created,
self- existent personifica-
tion of the mind of God,
and the inventor of writing, letters, mathematics, astronomy,
and the arts. He stands here as the " Scribe of the gods,"
and holds a reed pen, and a palette containing black and
red inks, with which to record the result of the weighing
of the heart. Behind Thoth stands the monster " Amam "

Fig. I.

1^.

i.e., the " Devourer," or as it

IS sometimes
the " Eater

called, " Ammit,"

of the dead." Some contempo-
rary papyri afford very interesting
variants of this scene. Thus in
Fig. I the Judgment takes place
in a Hall, in the presence of the
Maati-goddesses only, and the
heart is weighed against a figure
of the goddess of Truth herself.
The Ape of Thoth sits by the
side of the Balance, and not on
the pillar of it. In Fig. 2 the
actual weighing is performed by the goddess Maat, whilst

Fig. 2.

^ The preservation of the navel string in Egypt and Uganda is described
in Qoy Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. II, p. 95.

The Eater of the Dead

237

Fig. 3.

the monster Amam sits at her feet. The Ape of Thoth
sits on the left, and wears on his head the disk of the
moon and lunar horns. The head of the pillar of the
Balance is in the form of that of Anubis. In Fig. 3 the

Ape of Thoth is seated on the
pillar of the Balance, and it is
Horus who takes the place of
Anubis, and holds the tongue
of the Balance. In the lower
register of this Vignette we see
Anubis leading the deceased
into the presence of Osiris, and
presenting the heart of the de-
ceased to the god. The two
Apes seated by Osiris represent
Thoth and Astes.
The Eater of the Dead is also called the " Devourer of
Amenta." It is a female monster with the fore-part of a
crocodile, the hind-quarters of a hippopotamus, and the body

'^ "C ' -^ ^. ^ ^^ M^" ^^ usually sits near the Balance,

but in one Vignette (Fig. 4) it is seen crouching by the
Lake of Fire in the Other World.

When Ani enters the
Hall of Maati to witness the
weighing of his heart, he re-
cites an address to his heart
and a prayer, which together
form Chapter XXXb of the
Book of the Dead. He prays
that no false witness may be
borne against him, and that
no evidence may be produced
of a hostile character. He
prays that the Tchatchau

\ I T '^ ' ' ^'^ Great Chiefs of Osiris, may not oppose him,
and that the Shenit Chiefs of the court of Osiris may not
blacken his character, or, as the text says, "make his name
to stink " in the nostrils of the god Osiris. He prays also
that no lies may be told about him, and that his heart may

Fig. 4.

238 The Papyrus of Ani

not be separated from him. This pathetic prayer is one of
the oldest parts of the Book of the Dead, and a tradition
preserved in the Rubric of Chapter LXIV, as found in the
Papyrus of Nu, asserts that it is as old as the reign of
Menkaura, a king of the IVth dynasty, who flourished
about 3700 B.C. It was used regularly down to the end of
the Ptolemaic Period, i.e., to the time of the reign of
Cleopatra, about 30 B.C., and so we see that the prayer was
current among all classes of Egyptians for at least 3500
years. It must be one of the oldest prayers in the world.

The heart, having been placed in one of the pans of the
Balance, is weighed against the ostrich feather, emblematic
of Truth. Ani's guardian angel (Shai), and his Heart-soul
(Ba), and his navel string are all present ready to bear their
testimony on behalf of their lord ; and the goddess who
acted as midwife to his mother when he was born, and the
goddess who presided over his nursing, are prepared to
testify to his integrity. Anubis examines the pointer of
the Balance, and the Ape of Thoth reports to Thoth that
the weighing has been carried out fairly and impartially.
From the Vignette we see that the beam of the Balance is
exactly horizontal, and that the heart and the feather of
Maat exactly counterbalance each other ; in other words,
the heart is neither too light nor too heavy, and thus the
demands of the Law of Osiris are satisfied. This being
done Thoth reports formally to the Company of the Gods
that Ani's heart has been weighed, that his soul has borne
testimony on his behalf, and that his heart has been found
right and true by the Great Balance. Therefore Ani is
sinless. He has not purloined any of the property of the
gods that was under his charge officially, and he has harmed
none either by word or deed. The gods then accept

Thoth's report, and declare that Ani is a man true ^^ and
right ]\ and they declare that he has neither sinned

against them nor done harm to them in any way. They
next order that he shall not be given over to the Eater of
the dead, and that he shall be endowed with an estate in
Sekhet-hetepet, with an adequate supply of offerings, and
with the right to enter into the presence of Osiris. The
texts that supply these facts make it clear that the funda-
mental demands of the Law from a man were that he

Osiris in Judgment Enthroned 239

should: I. Speak the truth. 2. Do no harm to any man
by word or deed. 3. Observe strict honesty in dealing
with the property of others, whether it belonged to the
gods or to men. 4. Commit no sin against the gods, and
do nothing to belittle their dignity or destroy sacrosanct
property. From many other texts, and from inscriptions of
all periods, it is clear that what Osiris abominated above all
other things were lying, prevarication, deceit, and insincerity.
To him the speaker of crooked words must necessarily be
a doer of crooked deeds, and the proof of this fact is the
words maat kkeru, " whose word is truth," which it was
the proud hope of every Egyptian to have applied to him by
Thoth, by the gods, and by Osiris himself, the God of
Truth. These words are added immediately after the
name of the deceased on papyri, stelae, and other sepulchral
monuments, and they mean nothing more nor less than that
the professions of right-dealing and truth-speaking made by
the deceased have been tested by the officers of the
Judgment Hall of Osiris, and that he has been found to be
one whose word is truth, that is to say, a truth-speaker.
See the remarks made in the Chapter on the Legend of
Osiris in the Introduction.

PLATE IV

Vignette : In accordance with the decree of the gods,
Ani, whom they have found right and true, is brought into the
presence of Osiris. On the left the hawk-headed god Horus,
the son of I sis, wearing the Double Crown of the South and
the North, takes Ani by the hand and leads him forward

towards "Osiris, the Lord of Eternity," rjJj^ciT' Zl, who

is enthroned on the right within a shrine in the form of
a funeral chest. The god wears the Atef crown with
plumes ; a niendt (see above p. 232) hangs from the back of

his neck ; and he holds in his hands the crook | , the
sceptre 1, and the flail /\, emblems of sovereignty and

dominion. His body is either painted with ochres of various
colours, or is tattooed. On the side of his throne are painted
the doors of a tomb, which proves that he is sitting upon
a sepulchral chest or coffer that is intended to represent

240

The Papyrus of Ani

a tomb. I have shown elsewhere^ that this throne probably
contained the genitals, the navel string, and perhaps the
lower jawbone of the god. Behind Osiris stand Nephthys
on his rig-ht hand and I sis on his left. Facine him and
standing on a lotus flower are the Four Sons of Horus,
who were identified with the gods of the cardinal points.
The first, Kesta (Mesta), has the head of a man ; the
second, Hapi, the head of an ape ; the third, Tuamutef,
the head of a jackal ; and the fourth, Qebhsenuf, the head
of a hawk. Suspended near the lotus is the hide of an animal
from which the head has been cut off; in the Papyrus of
Ani the hide is that of a pied cow, or bull, but in some
papyri, e.g., the Greenfield Papyrus, the animal is clearly
of the lynx class. In the Papyrus of Ani the hide is that

2 3

The Four Sons of Horus.

of the bull slaughtered during the solemn ceremonies that
were performed when Osiris was laid in his tomb. The
slaughter of this bull symbolized the slaughter of Set, and
its skin the skin of Set. Tradition declared that when
Isis and Horus had reunited the members of the body of
Osiris that Set had scattered, and wished to revivify the
reconstituted body, they wrapped it up in the skin of the
cow or bull which had been slain for the funeral sacrifice.
This skin thus symbolized the human placenta, and when
Osiris was enveloped in it he received " new life," and his
exit therefore was regarded as his " new birth," i.e.,

" re-birth." The skin was called " Meskhent " l]^ ^^^^ ^^,

or jn I f^^^^, i.e., "birthplace," but later the name was

given to the tomb in general, and even to the whole of

^ Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. II, pp. 93 ff.

The Shrine of Osiris on Water

241

a tomb region, or necropolis.^ The roof of the shrine is
supported by pillars with lotus capitals, and is surmounted
by a figure of Horus-Sept, or Horus-Seker, and rows of
uraei.

In the centre Ani kneels before the god upon a reed
mat, raising his right hand in adoration, and holding in his

left the kherp sceptre V' emblematic of his high official

position upon earth. He wears a wig, which appears to be
whitened, but the whiteness is probably intended to repre-
sent the shining grease flowing from the conical object on
the top of his wig. This object has already been described
(see p. 231). Round his neck is a deep collar of precious
stones. Near him stands a table of offerings, of meat, fruit,
flowers, etc., and in the compartments above are a number
of vessels for wine, beer, oil, unguents, etc., together with
bread, cakes, geese, wreaths, and single flowers.

In some papyri the shrine ot
Osiris is in the form of a pylon,
and it usually rests upon a pedestal
made in the form of ^=1, i.e., the
object which symbolizes Truth
i^maat), or upon a reed mat. In
a very interesting Vignette in the
Papyrus of Hunefer (see Fig. i)
the throne of the Qod is set either
upon or by the side of a lake of
water, from which springs a lotus
flower bearing upon it the Four
Sons of Horus. In the papyri of fig. i.

the XXth and XXIst dynasties
the god Osiris wears a different kind of crown, and instead

of the Atef crown ^7, > ^^ see on his head that of Ptah-

Seker-Asar ]}^ , a triune god of the resurrection.

On the left of the Plate is the address which Horus, the
son of Isis, makes to Osiris when he presents Ani to his
father. He declares to Osiris that the weighing of the
heart of Ani, which the gods ordered Thoth to do, has taken

1 See Moret, My s teres Agyptiens, p. 29 ; Junker, Die Stufidemvachen,
pp. 5 iff-

242 The Papyrus of Ani

place, and that the heart has been found to be " right " ;
further, it has been pronounced that Ani has not committed
sin against any god or any goddess. Therefore Horus
entreats Osiris to grant cakes and ale to Ani, to admit him into
his presence, and to include him among those deified human
beings who are known as the *' Followers of Horus." On
the rieht of the Plate we see Ani kneeling' as he addresses
Osiris and says : " O Lord of Amentet, I am in thy presence.
" There is no sin in me. I have not lied wittingly. I have
" not done auofht with a false heart." From this we see
that the only merit which Ani claimed before Osiris was
that he had neither spoken lies, nor acted lies. To him,
and to Osiris also, to tell the truth and to act honestly was
the utmost that a man could do to prepare himself for a life
in the Kingdom of Osiris. Therefore Ani continues his
prayer and says : " Grant thou that I may be like unto those
" favoured ones who are round about thee, I, the Osiris^
" the greatly praised of the Beautiful God,^ and beloved of
" the Lord of the Two Lands.- 1, the real royal scribe,
" loving him, Ani, whose word is truth before Osiris." It
will be noted that Ani does not ask for sepulchral offerings,
or for an estate in the Kingdom of Osiris ; all he asks is that
Osiris will consider him worthy to be introduced into the
company of truthful Spirit-souls who live always in the
presence of Osiris.

PLATE V

Vignettes : The funeral procession to the tomb :
runnino- the whole lenofth of Plates V and VI. In the
centre of Plate V the mummy of Ani is seen lying in a
funerary coffer or shrine mounted on a boat provided with
runners, which is drawn by oxen. At the head and foot
of the coffer are masses of flowers and branches of trees.
In the fore-part of the boat is a painted wooden figure of
the goddess Nephthys, and in the stern is a similar figure
of I sis. Just behind I sis are the two posts to which are
fastened steering oars, or paddles. By the side of the
mummy kneels Ani's wife Tutu, with her left hand raised

^ \l A title of the king of Egypt who was reigning when the Papyrus

of Ani was written.

2 I.e., " Lord of Upper and Lower Egypt."

Funeral Procession Described 243

to her forehead in an attitude of lamentation. Her arms
and shoulders are bare, and she wears a single garment
fastened about her waist. In front of the boat is the

Sem n ^.^ ^ priest, arrayed in white linen garments, over

which he wears a leopard skin. The leopard was always
associated with the Land of the Dead, and the skin of the
animal was supposed to bestow upon its wearer special
powers in dealing with the souls of the dead. In his right

hand the Sem priest holds a libation vase u), from which he

sprinkles on the bier water in which natron, or some com-
pound of salt or soda, has been mixed, and so renders the
resting-place of the mummy ceremonially pure. In his left
hand he holds over the fore-part of the boat a censer
containing burning incense, and, as he sprinkles the water
on the boat, and causes the incense to burn by moving
about the censer, he recites on behalf of the deceased
sections of the text which forms Chapter I of the Theban
Recension of the Book of the Dead. The prayers which
he recites for Ani entered into the smoke of the incense,
and were carried by it up to heaven and into the ears of
Osiris and the other gods who presided over the souls of
the dead, and the Egyptians always believed that prayers
so wafted to heaven were duly considered and answered by
the gods. The bier is followed by eight men who lament
the death of Ani, and one of these has his hair whitened.
Behind these come four men who wear white tunics and
haul by means of a rope a funerary chest, made in the form
of a pylon, which rests upon runners. At each end of the
coffer are small branches, and above it is a figure of the
Jackal-god Anubis. The side of the coffer is decorated

with figures of the Tet and Tet uA, which symbolize the

sacrum bone of Osiris and the uterus of I sis, and drew to
the coffer the power of the great Ancestor god Osiris, and
the virtue of the blood and magical spells and words of
power of the great Ancestress goddess I sis. The coffer
contained four vases, each of which held an important
internal organ of Ani mummified, and was under the divine
protection of one of the Four Sons of Horus. In the rear
are two men, who have their hands raised and are reciting
the praises of, or prayers for, the deceased.

244 The Papyrus of Ani

In the upper register are : i. A servant who carries in
his right hand the staff of Ani and two pots containing
myrrh and unguents. 2. A servant carrying on his head
Ani's couch or bed, the modern " Angareb," with a frame
of ebony, and a rope-work mat on which to He ; that
it was a very heavy piece of furniture is proved by
the bent knees of the man who is carrying it. 3. A
servant bearing on his shoulders the heavy ebony chair
in which Ani used to sit. 4. A servant carrying
articles connected with Ani's profession as a scribe,

namely, his palette

with the traces of

the red and black ink still upon it, and the reed pens
projecting from the cavity made in it for them, the scribe's
wrist rest, and a box containing materials used by the

scribe, water-jar, etc., and another small box Ij. It was

assumed that Ani would require all the objects in the
Tuat, or Khert-Neter, i.e., the Other World, and they were
therefore beino- carried to his tomb in Western Thebes.
Meanwhile, the funerary coffer, or bier, is being hauled
along by two pairs of oxen, which are guided by four of
Ani's slaves. The ropes are fastened round the horns of
the animals, just as they are in some places in the Sudan
at the present day. The oxen were intended to be offered
up as sacrifices during the elaborate funerary ceremonies
that were performed either at the door of the tomb, or in the
great I'uat Chamber inside it, wherein the transmutation of
the offerings into food suitable for the gods and spirits was
effected. The oxen were four in number, so that one might
be slaughtered for each of the Four Quarters of the World.

Text: Chapter I. Here begin the Chapters of
Coming Forth by Day.

PLATE VI

Vignette : The funeral procession continued up to the
tomb. In the centre is a group of professional wailing-
women, who are seen beating their breasts and pulling out
their hair. These are followed by attendants or slaves
carrying on yokes boxes of flowers, vases of unguents, etc.
In front of the women are a cow and her calf, chairs made of

Ceremony of Opening the Mouth 245

painted wood with bunches of flowers, etc., upon them, and
an attendant, with shaven head, carrying the fore-leg of an
ox, which has been newly slaughtered. To the right of the
Plate is seen a group of priests who are performing on the
mummy of Ani the ceremony of " Opening the Mouth."
Ani's mummy is standing on a reed mat, and is provided
with its festal decorations, head-covering, lotuses or lilies,
beard, etc. At its feet kneels Tutu lamenting the departure
of her husband. Behind the mummy stands Anubis, the
god of embalming, embracing it with his arms. Behind
Anubis is the tomb, painted white. It consists of a small
low, rectangular building, which in many respects resembles
a mastabah tomb of the Ancient Empire, surmounted by
a pyramidal structure. About
half way up the pyramidal
portion is a small opening or
niche, which was specially
made to form a resting-place
for the Heart-soul of Ani,
whenever it wished to visit the
mummy in the chamber below
the tomb, or whenever it wished
to alight and enjoy the sight of
familiar people and things. In
the accompanying cut we see
the soul descending the pit of
the tomb to the mummy cham-
ber in order to carry air to
the mummy.

A table piled with the usual
offerings is in front of Ani's mummy, and standing there
^ before it we see the Sem priest, dressed
as before, and sprinkling with water and
censing the mummy, and another man, who
may be Ani's son or an assistant priest

who bore the title Sa-mer-f "^^ , i.e.,

" his loving son." This last-named holds
a remarkable instrument called " Ur heka"

Fig. I.

of power."

l_J (Fig. i), a name which means

"great one of spells, "or "great one of words
Behind or beside these priests on the ground

246

The Papyrus of Ani

in a row lie the other instruments which are employed in
performing- the ceremony of " Opening the Mouth " of Ani.
These are the meskhet crv, the box for holdino uno-uents
^J, the boxes for purification ^E

, the nemes bandlet

Fig. 2.

. the libation vases uuxj, the ostrich feather, and the
three instruments called Scb-m-, Temdnu, and Pesh-en-kef
j^. The Kher-heb priest stands behind them reciting

the various sections of the service from a papyrus. The
ceremony of "Opening the Mouth" is
\'ery ancient, and probably dates from
the end of the Neolithic Period in
Egypt. It was performed on the gods
after they were created, and was ever
after performed on all dead men whose
relatives could afford to pay for the cere-
mony. The Egyptians foresaw that
when a man had been made into a
mummy, if life were restored to him by
magical means, it would be impossible for him to move his
members because of the bandages with which they were
swathed, and he could not breathe because his mouth
would be closed by swathings also. The priests therefore
invented a series of
ceremonies, and com-
posed a liturgy to be
recited whilst the cere-
monies were being per-
formed, the effect of
which would be to
remove the swathings
from the body, and to
permit it to open the
mouth and nostrils,
and to breathe, eat,
drink, think, and walk.
The Kher-iieb priest
touched the mouth with
the series of instruments mentioned above, and so opened
it, and then performed a number of ceremonies in which
all the other objects played symbolic but very important

Fig. 3.

The King's Funerary Offering 247

parts. Sometimes the " Guardian of the balance " opened
the mouth of the deceased (Fig. 2). In the Appendix
which follows the description of this Plate several of
these ceremonies are described, and the outline drawings
illustrate the way in which they were performed. In
some papyri the ceremony of opening the mouth is
clearly shown, as will be seen from the accompanying
tracing (Fig. 3). One priest uses the Ur-keka and the
Seb-2cr on the mummy, another presents pots of unguent
for lubricating the lips, and the Kher-heb purifies the place
where the ceremonies are being performed by sprinkling
natron water, and burning incense. By the side of the
tomb is a large stele with a rounded top which, it seems,
the Ba-soul of the deceased was supposed to occupy at
times. On the top of it is a scene in which the deceased
Hunefer is represented adoring Osiris. Below is the
followine text : —

^ w !' rv/^ A A w

1 1 1

L^ O C£ 1 I I ^ A

This text opens with the words Suten ta hetep, meaning
"the king hath given an offering." This formula is very
ancient, and was cut on stelae and tombs under the Ancient
Empire, when no man was allowed to build a tomb, or
have one built, except by royal consent, and when the king
did actually send a contribution in kind to the funerary
offerings. The intense conservatism of the Egyptians
made them preface their funerary inscriptions by the
formula Suten ta hetep many centuries after the king
had ceased to give gifts personally to the dead. There is
no reason for doubting that every king gave gifts for the
funerary ceremonies performed for priests and officials who
were well known and liked by him, but it was manifestly

248

The Papyrus of Ani

impossible for the kino- to contribute to the funeral of every
man buried in a tomb throughout the
length and breadth of Egypt. The
remaining part of the inscription reads :
" Osiris, Khenti Amentet, Lord of
*' Eternity, Creator everlasting, Lord
" to whom praisings are made, First
" of his Company of Gods ; hail, Anpu,
" dweller in the mummy chamber, great
" S^^> governor of the divine house ;
" may they grant to the Ka of the Osiris,
" him who is praised (or, favoured) of
" his god, Hunefer, [the power] to go in
•' and to come forth from Khert-Neter,
"and to follow in the train of Osiris
" during all his festivals of the New
" Year, and to receive offerings of cakes,
" and to appear in his presence."

APPENDIX

Description of the Ceremonies of
Opening the Mouth

The ceremonies^ which took place
at the door of the tomb in an Egyptian
funeral are of considerable interest.
The priest called Kher-heb, holding
the Sem priest by the arm, gives direc-
tions for the slaughter of "a bull of
the South." The slaughterer, standin
on the bull, cuts off a fore-leg (Fig. i
and takes out the heart. A woman,
called the Tcherdu ur, who personifies
I sis, then whispers in the deceased's
ear : " Behold, thy lips are set in order
for thee, so that thy mouth may be opened." Next, an

^ The following description of them is based upon the chapters on
this subject in Dumichen, Der Grabpalast des Fatuamenap, Part II,
Plates I ff., pp. 3 ff.

The Book of Opening the Mouth 249

antelope^ and a duck-^ are brought by order of the Kher-
HEB, and their heads are cut off.^ The Kher-iieb then
addresses the Sem priest : " I have seized them for thee,
" I have brought unto thee thine enemies. His hands
" bring his head [as] his gift. I have slain them for thee,
" O Tmu ; let not his enemies rise up against this god."

The slaughterer then presents the thigh to

the Kher-iieb, and the heart to an official

whose title was Smer M T hS, and all three

then " place the thigh and the heart upon
the ground before this god" {i.e., Osiris).
The Kher-heb then says to the deceased,
represented by his mummy or statue : "I

* have brought unto thee the thigh (Fig. 2)

* as the Eye of Horus. I have brought
' unto thee the heart ; let there be no rising
' up against this god. I have brought

' unto thee the antelope, his head is cut off ; I have brought

* unto thee the duck, his head is cut off" Here the

sacrifice ends.

The next part of the ceremony,
i.e., " the opening of the mouth and
eyes," is performed by the Sem priest,
who addresses the deceased : " I have
" come to embrace thee, I am thy
" son Horus, I have pressed thy
"mouth; I am thy son, I love thee.
"His mother beats her breast and
" weeps for him, and those who are
" in chains with him {i.e., Isis and
" Nephthys) beat their breasts. Thy
" mouth was closed, but I have set in order for thee thy

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

3 The slaughter of the antelope and duck typified the destruction of
the enemies of the deceased ; for, when Horus destroyed the enemies of
his father Osiris, " he cut off their heads [which took] the form of ducks in
" the sky, making them to fall headlong to the ground in the form of
" antelopes, and into the water in the form of fishes." For the text, see
Schiaparelli, // Libro dei Funeralt degli Antichi Egiziani (in Atti della
R. Accadetnia dei Lined; Rome, 1883 and 1890), p. 94; Naville,
Todtenbuch, chap. 134.

VOL. I. S

250

The Papyrus of Ani

Fig. 4.

" mouth ^ and thy teeth." The Kiier-heb next calls on the
Sem priest four times : " O Sem, take the Seb-tir- (Fig. 3)
and open the mouth and the eyes " ; and while the Sem priest
is performing the ceremony the Kher-heb continues : " Thy
" mouth was closed, but I have set in
' " order for thee thy mouth and thy teeth.

" I open for thee thy mouth, I open for
*' thee thy two eyes, I have opened for
" thee thy mouth with the instrument of
" Anubis. I have opened thy mouth
" with the instrument of Anubis, with
*' the iron tool with which the mouths
" of the gods were opened. Horus, open
" the mouth, Horus, open the mouth.
" Horus hath opened the mouth of the
" dead, as he whilom opened the mouth of
" Osiris, with the iron which came forth from Set, with the
" iron tool (Fig. 4) with which he opened the mouths of the
" gods. He hath opened thy mouth with it. The dead
" shall walk and shall speak, and his body shall [be] with
" the Great Company of the Gods in the Great House of the
" Aofed one in Anu, and he shall receive there the ureret
" crown from Horus, the lord of
" mankind." The Kher-heb next
says : " Let the Ami-Khent priest
" (Fig. 5) stand behind him {i.e., the
" deceased), and say, ' My father, my
" father,' four times." The eldest son
of the deceased then stands behind
the deceased, and in his name the
Kher-i^eb says : "His mother beateth
" her breast and weepeth for him,
" and those who are in chains with
*' him also beat their breasts." An-
other priest, called Am-Khent-Heru, takes up the same
position and says : " Isis goeth unto Horus, who em-

^ See Schiaparelli, // Libro dti Funerali degli Antichi Egtziani ;
Maspero, Le Riinel du Sacrifice Funirairc (in Revue de VHistoire des
Religions, 1887, pp. 159 ff.).

Fig. 5.

Vk:

For a complete list of these instruments, see

Schiaparelli, // Libro dei Funerali degli Antichi Egiziani, p. 109.

The Book of Opening the Mouth 251

Fig. 6.

braceth his father." A priestly official belonging to the
mesenti class then goes behind the deceased, and the
Sem, Smer and Kher-heb priests stand in front, and the
Sem priest and the Kher-heb, personifying Horus and Sut,
respectively cry : " I am Horus, I am Sut ; I will not let

" thee illumine the

" head of my father."
The Sem priest then
leaves the KA-chapel
and returns, leading
in the Sa-mer-f, i.e.,
" the son who loveth
him"; whereupon the
Kher-heb says: "O
" Sem, let the Sa-
" MER-F come into the tomb in order that he may see the
"god." The Sem priest holding him by the arm then
leads forward the Sa-mer-f, who addresses the deceased :
" I have come ; I have brought unto thee thy son who
" loveth thee ; he shall open for thee thy mouth and
" thine eyes." (Fig. 6.) A tomb-official, A^n-ds, then
takes up his position behind the deceased, and the Sa-
mer-f and the Kher-heb stand in front ; the Kher-heb
repeating four times : "The Sa-mer-f openeth the mouth
" and the two eyes of the deceased, first with a needle ^ of
" iron, then with a rod oi sniu metal "; the A?n-ds addressing
the deceased : " Behold the Sa-mer-f " ; and the Kher-heb
. saying, in the name of the Sa-
mer-f : " I have pressed for thee
' ' thy mouth, even as thy father
" pressed it in the name of Seker.
" Hail, Horus hath pressed thy
" mouth for thee, he hath opened
" thine eyes for thee ; Horus hath
" opened thy mouth for thee, he
" hath opened for thee thine eyes :
" they are firmly stablished. Thy
" mouth was closed ; I have or-
" dered thy mouth and thy teeth for thee in their true
" order. Thou hast [again] opened thy mouth ; Horus

Fig. 7.

^'eUef.

S 2

252

The Papyrus of Ani

Fig. 8,

" hath opened thy mouth. I have stablished thy mouth
" firmly, Horus hath opened for thee thy mouth, Horus
" hath opened for thee thy two eyes."
The Kher-heb then speaks on behalf
of the Sem priest : " Thy mouth was
" closed up. I have ordered aright for
" thee thy mouth and thy teeth. Thy
mouth is firmly stablished. Thy mouth
was tightly closed. His mouth is
" firmly stablished, and [his] two eyes
" are firmly stablished." The Sem priest
next presents to the deceased (Fig. 7) a

cone-shaped offering A ,^ and at the same

time the Kher-heb says : " Open the mouth and the two

" eyes, open the mouth and

" the two eyes. Thou hadst

" tightly closed thy mouth,

" thou hast [again] opened

" thy two eyes." Then the

Kher-heb says on behalf of

the Smer (Fig. 8) priest who

stands behind the deceased :

" One cometh unto thee for

thy purification." Next the

Sa-mer-f comes forward with

four boxes (Fig. 9) in his hands, and the Kher-heb says :

" O Sa-mer-f, take the four boxes
" of purification, press the mouth
" and the two eyes, and open the
" mouth and the two eyes with
" each of them four times, and
" say, ' Thy mouth and thy two
" eyes are firmly stablished, and
" they are restored aright,' and
" say also, ' I have firmly pressed
" thy mouth, I have opened thy
" mouth, I have opened thy two

*' eyes by means of the four boxes of purification.' " The

Sem priest then approaches the deceased (Fig. 10) with the

Fig. 9.

Fig. 10.

^ A large collection of such offerings is exhibited in the Third Egyptian
Room.

The Book of Opening the Mouth 253

Fig. II.

instrument ^,^ and the Kher-heb at the same time says :
" O Sem priest, lay the pesh-en-kef upon his mouth, and
" say, ' I have stablished for thee thy two jaw-bones in
" thy face which was divided into two parts.' " The Sem
priest next makes an offering of
grapes (Fig. 11), the Kher-heb
saying : " O Sem priest, place the
" grapes upon his mouth and say,
" ' He bringeth to thee the eye of
" Horus, he graspeth it ; do thou
" also grasp it.'" After an ostrich
feather has been offered (Fig. 12)
by the Sem priest, and a number
of the ceremonies described above
have been repeated, and other
animals slaughtered, the Kher-heb addresses the Sem
priest, and says: "Take the instrument Tun-tet'^ (thrice)
and open the mouth and the eyes" (four times). He then
continues: "O Sem priest, take the iron instrument of
" Anubis, Tun-tet (thrice). Open the mouth and the two
" eyes (four times), and say, ' I open
" for thee thy mouth with the iron
" instrument of Anubis with which he
" opened the mouths of the gods.
" Horus openeth the mouth, Horus
" openeth the mouth, Horus openeth
" the mouth with the iron which cometh
" forth from Set, wherewith he hath
" opened the mouth of Osiris. With
" the iron tool {ineskket) wherewith he
" opened the mouths of the gods doth
" he open the mouth. He [the deceased] shall go in and
" he shall speak [again], and his body shall dwell with the
" Company of the Great Gods in Anu, wherein he hath
" received the ureret crown from Horus, lord of men. Hail,
" Horus opened thy mouth and thy two eyes with the
" instrument Seb-ur or Teman^^\x\\ the instrument Tun-tet

Fig. 12.

1 It is called Pesh-en-kef ,-^ ^-^^ ^^ ^ .
Grabpalast des Fatuamenap, Part I, pp. i8, 19.

See Diimichen, Der

2 " ' I

254

The Papyrus of Ani

Fig. 13.

" of the Opener of the Roads [i.e., Anubis) wherewith he
" opened the mouth of all the gods of the North. Horus
"the Great ^ cometh to embrace thee. I, thy son who
" loveth thee, have opened thy mouth and thy two eyes.
"His mother beateth herbreast in grief while she embraceth

" him, and the two sisters {i.e., Isis
" and Nephthys), who are one,
" strike themselves in grief All
" the gods open thy mouth accor-
" ding to the book of the service.' "
The Kher-heb next instructs the
Sem priest to clothe the mummy
or statue of the deceased with the
nejjies^ band or fillet (Fig. 13), and
to say : " Lo ! the nemes fillet, the
" nefjies fillet, which cometh as the
" light, which cometh as the light ; it cometh as the eye
" of Horus, the brilliant ; it cometh forth from Nekheb.
" The gods were bound therewith ; bound round is thy
" face with it in its name oi Hetch [i.e., light, or brilliance),
" coming forth from Nekheb. All that could do harm
" to thee upon earth is destroyed." The Sem priest,
holding a vase of ointment in his left hand, and smearing
the mouth with his fore-finger (Fig.
14), says : " I have anointed thy face
" with ointment, I have anointed
" thine eyes. I have painted thine
" eye with natch and with 7n€stchem.
" May no ill-luck happen through
" the dethronement of his two eyes
" in his body, even as no evil for-
" tune came to Horus through the
" overthrow of his eye in his body.
" Thy two eyes are decked there-
" with in its name of Uatch, which maketh thee to give forth
" fragrance, in its name of Sweet-smelling." A number of
scented unguents and perfumes are brought forward, and at
the presentation of each a short sentence is recited by the

Fig. 14.

^ Heru-ur, the Haroeris of the Greeks.

The Book of Opening the Mouth 255

Kher-heb, having reference to the final triumph of the
deceased in the Underworld and to the help which the
great gods will render to him.

Text : [Chapter I.] Here begin the Chapters of
Coming Forth by Day, and the songs of praise and
glorifying, and of coming forth from and of going into

THE GLORIOUS KhERT-NeTER IN THE BeAUTIFUL AmENTET.

This is the opening Chapter of the Theban Recension
of the Book of the Dead, and its object is clear. It
was to be recited on the day of the funeral, and if this
were done by the Kher-heb priest it would give the
deceased power to leave the Other World whensoever he
pleased, and to return to this world, and to resume his place
in the Other World when he was tired of this one. The
words " coming forth by day " have formed the subject of
many discussions by Egyptologists, and they have been
translated in many ways, e.g., " Coming forth from [or, as]
the day" (Birch) ; " The departure from the day " (Birch) ;
" Sortir du jour" (Deveria and Naville) ; "Sortie de la
journ^e " (Pierret) ; " Ausgang bei Tage " (Brugsch). The
true meaning seems to me to be " Coming forth by (or into)
the day." Ap the events described in the Book of the
Dead take place in the Other World, and what the dead
man craved for above everything else was to come back into
the light of day of this world. He longed to have the
power to leave Khert-Neter, or Amentet, i.e., the Other
World, whensoever he wished, and to return to it whenso-
ever he wished. There was no other place for him to go
to except this earth, or the sky above it, and as he firmly
believed that the Other World was a place of semi-darkness,
as compared with this earth when the sun was shining in
the sky, he longed to have the power to come back to earth
and bask in the sunshine, or in the glorious light of the full
moon. Every Egyptian knew that only the gods possessed
naturally the power to leave the Other World at will, and
he therefore strove with all his might to find the means
whereby he might identify himself with them or become
absorbed in them. In this Chapter the priest declared
that the deceased was the Sun-god, and Thoth, and a
Tchatcha chief, and the kinsman of Osiris and Horus, and
Tet, and the Sem priest, and that he had assisted Horus in

256 The Papyrus of Ani

performing the ceremonies which had resulted in the resur-
rection of Osiris. As Osiris confounded his enemies, so
the deceased has confounded his enemies ; as Thoth proved
the words of Osiris to be true, so also does he prove that
the words of Ani are truth. Ani also claims to have
performed the priestly duties of the Sem priest and of Ptah,
and to have ploughed the earth in Hensu (Herakleopolis),
and to have worked into it the blood of his slauohtered
enemies, just as did Horus for his father Osiris. Having
performed all these meritorious acts and been declared
innocent in the Judgment, he demands admission into the
presence of Osiris, and the right to hear and see what the
gods hear and see, and to stand up and sit down as they do.

It was not, however, easy to reach the House of
Osiris, for it was situated far away from this earth, on the
remote side of Dead-land. A soul might easily lose its
way in trying to cross that awful country, or it might be
molested and driven back by hostile souls, or by those
souls who could never hope to win through to the kingdom
of Osiris. The only certain means of traversing Dead-land
in safety was to obtain the services of some benevolent god,
or ofods, who knew the roads, and could act therefore as
trustworthy guides to the souls who wished to reach the
Elysian Fields. Hence we find Ani praying to the
"openers of the ways," or divine guides, to lead him to
the House of Osiris, and to protect him from the evil
actions of those who might attempt to turn him out of his
path, and make him to lose his way " in the bush." Such
" guides " were the servants of Osiris, and they would only
conduct the souls of the loyal followers of Osiris to their
lord, and it was necessary for souls to convince them that
they really were followers of Osiris by reciting the words of
power of the Book of the Dead, or by producing authorized
amulets. When this had been done the guides led the souls
of the beatified through Dead-land, and helped them to pass
through the fortresses of Osiris in safety until they entered
the presence of the god.

According to a supplementary text, which is known as
the " Chapter of making the Sakii to enter into Khert-
Neter on the day of the funeral," the road between this
world and the next was infested with snakes, " which lived
" upon the bodies of men and women and fed upon their

Ani and Tutu in the Other World

257

" blood." In the recendy discovered Papyrus of luaa these
snakes are said to be nine in number, and their names are
as follow : —

II o

'■ Llk^J^»-

3-f

Narti-ankh-em-sen-f.

Her-f-em-qeb-f.

Ankh-em-fentu.

^ a

5- ra^iTij-,,

Sam-em-qesu.

^jTl^"m-{[-_^'^|m Hahutiamsau (?)

Shept-temesu.
Unem-sahu.

^•^i!^]fti^

Sam-em-snef.

I IM Ankh-em-betu-mitu.^

9- fTkJ-^^K

PLATE VII

The Vignettes which run along the tops of Plates VII-X
all illustrate the XVIIth Chapter of the Theban Recension,
the text of which is written below them.

Vignettes : I. Ani and his wife Tutu seated in a bower
or chamber, which appears to be made of mats, stiffened
and supported by poles. Ani is seated on a chair with a
back, and is engaged in moving a piece on a chequer-board
with his right hand ; in his left he holds an object made of
linen, the use and signification of which are unknown.
Tutu is seated a little behind her husband on a stool, which
is provided with a cushion ; the feet of both husband and
wife rest on footstools made of matting, or perhaps on
leather-covered cushions. In the Papyrus of Hunefer

^ See Budge, TAe Chapters of Coming Forth by Day, Vol. I, Plate
LXXXVIII, London, 1909.

258

The Papyrus of Ani

(Fig. i) we see one figure of the deceased seated in the
seh chamber, and two outside it, with the emblem of
Amentet and symbols of bread and beer between them.

One of the two out-
side fio-ures is croinor
into the seh chamber
and the other is leav-
ing it. In the Papy-
rus of Mut-em-uaa
the queen (Fig. 2) is
seated before a table
with a box of unguent
on it, and she is play-
inor a orame on a drauoht board. Her Heart-soul stands
outside, and is adoring the two Horus-gods, or the gods of
the rising and setting sun.

2. The Heart-souls of Ani and Tutu, in the form of
human-headed hawks, standing upon the roof of their tomb ;
before each is a pot in which incense is burning. Above

Fig. I.

the head of Ani is the legend

the Ba-soul of

Fig. 2.

the Osiris " [Ani].

3. A light table, or altar, with a pillared stand, on which

rests a vase

with a spout
■vQ, probably
containing
wine. On
the table are
two lotuses
or lilies.
These ob-
jects probably represent the offerings which were made to
Ani and Tutu by their kinsfolk upon earth.

4. Two lions seated back to back and supporting the
horizon qS^, over which extends the sky f=^. The lion on
the right is called Sep R "^ r^. ^-^m " Yesterday," and that

on the left Tuau ^^^^o. ^•^•' "To-day" (to illustrate
11. 13-16). .^

5. The Benu bird \ '^^^^ vS ^^^ , with a libation vase and
lotus resting on an altar before him. The Benu bird is

Yesterday and To-day

259

usually thought to be identical with the phoenix of the
Greeks, who considered that bird to have been self-produced.
The Benu is at once a symbol of Ra and of Osiris.

6. The mummy of Ani lying on a bier within a funerary
coffer or shrine, to the ends of which are attached coloured
streamers ; the bier rests on the roof of a long, low
sepulchral building that is probably intended to represent
Ani's tomb. At the head and foot of the bier is a vulture,

that at the head representing Nephthys |T, and that at the
foot Isis jl; these birds are the two goddesses in the
character of " nursing mothers," Tcherti, B^ ^ . Beneath

the bier are two vases of unguents, Ani's palette, the box
containing implements used in writing and painting, and
two wooden or stone vessels painted in imitation of
variegated glass. Examples of such vases are to be seen
in the Fourth Egyptian
Room of the British Mu-
seum, Nos. 4875, 4877,
4879, etc. In some
papyri (see annexed cut)
the Heart-soul of the
deceased is seen hovering
over the mummy in the

form of a human-headed ~~~~

hawk, bearing in its claws the emblem of the sun's orbit
[s/ien), which symbolizes eternity. The older and more
correct form of the s/ien is ciDi , but here it is shortened,
and resembles a signet ring.

7. From other papyri we see that after the
Vignette of Ani's mummy we ought to find in
our papyrus a Vignette representing the two
Uraei-goddesses who are referred to in 11. 33-36
of the text. They are here supplied from
the Papyrus of Hunefer, in which the legends
tell us that one uraeus represents the goddess of
the South, Nekhebit, and the other the goddess
of the North, Uatchit.

26o The Papyrus of Ani

PLATE VIII

8. The figure of a god, painted dark blue, or cobalt, and
marked with wavy lines to indicate his nature as a Water-
god. He wears the long characteristic African beard, and
has a somewhat pendulous stomach. His androgynous
nature is indicated by his left breast, which is that of a
woman. On his head is the symbol for " year," and in his
right hand he holds a similar symbol ; he is called " Heh-

en-renput " ^ ' rjf» and he may be a primitive Egyptian

or Nilotic Year-god. His left hand is extended over an
oval within which is the Eye of Horus ^ (to illustrate 1. 46).

9. The god " whose name is Uatch-t-ura "

^^=f n A/wwv jO „,^,^ ^ {^^^ the god of the Great Green, or the

god of the Sea, whether of the Red Sea or of the Medi-
terranean cannot be said. He is painted red, wears armlets
and bracelets, and has round his waist a girdle, the ends of
which fall down in front of him. His arms are extended,
and his hands are stretched out over two rectangular lakes
MSB ; that under his right hand is called She-en-hesmen,

WAAA 0 1 11°, i.e., " Lake of Natron," and that under

his left, She-en-maat, >^^'^^ -*N^ VN, , i.e., " Lake

of Salt." This god seems to be of androgynous nature
also, for his left breast, like that of the god in Vignette 8,
is that of a woman (to illustrate 11. 47-50).

10. A doorway in the form of a pylon, with palm-leaf
cornice, and two leaves which are shut and bolted ; its

name is Rasta, or Rastau ~^, which means the

I — ^ f^-^^^

" door of the corridors in the mountain." This Vignette
illustrates 11. 51 ff., from which we learn that it is the
south gate of Anrutef, a district of Herakleopolis, and the
northern gate of the Land of the Dead. The name was
given originally to a gate in the kingdom of Seker, the god
of Death, which lay to the south of Memphis. In any case
it is the gate which all souls must pass through on It-aving
this world to enter the Tuat, or Other World, and a picture
of it is given here so that souls may gain an idea of what it
was like.

Mehurt, the Sky-goddess

261

11. A funerary building, painted white, with a palm-
leaf cornice. The door is unlike that of Rasta. Above is
the Right Eye of Ra, which is supposed to rise up out of
the building. This building probably represents the door
through which the sun emerges at sunrise, when he starts
on his journey across the heavens (to illustrate 1. jT))-

12. A very ancient Sky-goddess called " Mehurt arit

Ra"

°^

i.e., " Mehurt, the daughter

Fig. I.

of Ra." Her face is yellow
and her body red. She has
a deep collar, or halter, round
her neck, to which is fastened
a mendt, emblem of virility,
fecundity, and female sexu-
ality, which lies along her
back (Fig. i). Above her
back is a flail. She lies along
the top of a low building,
which rests on a mat. In

the Papyrus of Hunefer (Fig. 2) we see the god Thoth
kneeling before her and presenting to her the Eye of Ra,
or the Sun. The allusion here is to the ancient legend
in which it is said that Set carried away the sun from the

sky and attempted to destroy
it. Thoth set out in quest of
the sun, overtook Set, and
having inflicted great injury
upon him, took the sun and
carried it back and placed it
in the sky, in its proper place
(to illustrate 11. 75-79).
13. A funeral chest or coffer which represents the burial

ground or the great cemetery of Abydos H==l ^ T J
The supports and domed cover of the coffer are painted
green and red, and the side is black. On this are traced
in outline the figures of the Four Sons of Horus, Kesta
(Mesta) and Hapi facing Tuamutef and Qebhsenuf. Above
the cover rise the head of a man, presumably that of Ani,
and his forearms and hands, in each of which he grasps the

symbol of " life " ■¥• . It was at Abydos that Osiris arose from

Fig. 2.

262 The Papyrus of Ani

the dead, and it is suggested by this Vignette that Ani will
rise there also. This coffer is supposed to contain the
internal organs of the deceased, which are under the pro-
tection of the Four Sons of Horus. On the left of the
coffer stand two of the Sons of Horus, Kesta (Mesta)

^^^ jl (j ^, man-headed, and Hapi, or Hepi v (1(1 J), ape-
headed ; on the right stand the other two, namely Tuamutef

:J^\\ ^ 3, jackal-headed, and Qebhsenuf [v | o (2
hawk-headed (to illustrate 11. 82 and S;^).

PLATE IX

14. Here follow figures of three gods, who, together
with the Four Sons of Horus, form the Seven Spirits
referred to in 1. 99. These are : —

1. Maa-atef ^^ ^ ^ s^' rnan-headed and seated on

a mat.

2. Kheri-beq-f l^ J!LJ^0'^'=— ' man-headed and

seated on a mat.

3. Heru-khenti-ariti "^[flll :Sl, hawk-headed and

seated on a mat.

15. The god Anpu (Anubis) (] \> ^' jackal-headed
and seated on a mat.

16. A group of Seven Gods, who, according to some
authorities, formed the Seven Spirits, and, according to
others, the Seven Gods who watched over the Tomb of
Osiris. Their names are : —

I. (2 ^°1 X^ Netcheh-netciieii, man-headed.

^' h'%^1^^1 n wj A^QETQET' snake-headed.

3. (111^ rO I J\ j<^^_ m Khenti-heh-f, man-headed.

4- n "^^ Ammi-unnut-f, snake-headed.

5. "%?* "^^^ -jj Tesher-ariti (?), man-headed.

Osiris and Ra meet in Tetu 263

6. J n (1 ^^^ ^ ^=§=t Bes-maa-em-kerh, man-headed.

7. A / ^ ^ An-em-hru, man-headed.

These figures illustrate 11. 99-106 of the text.

17. A sepulchral building, with a palm-leaf cornice,

having at each end of it a /^/ h, i.e., a figure which was

in later times identified with the sacrum bone of Osiris,
mounted on a stand. On the top of the building stand the
hawk of Ra, with the solar disk on his
head, and a human-headed hawk wear-
ing the White Crown, and representing
the Heart-soul of Osiris. The souls
of Ra thus meet in Tetu, and are united
to form one god. The tet was in very-
primitive times the symbol of a god to
which human sacrifices were offered,
and the ground in front of it was
" watered " with the blood of human beings. The victims
were sometimes foreigners, and sometimes warriors who
had been taken prisoner alive. The centre of the cult of
the tet was the town in Lower Egypt, which was in
Pharaonic times known as Tetu, or Busiris. By some
means or other the cult of Osiris was established at Tetu,
and little by little it supplanted that of ihe tet, and Osiris
absorbed many of the attributes of the god Tet. In the
Vignette we see the hawk of Ra face to face with the Heart-
soul of Osiris, and the text says that when the Heart-soul of
Osiris goes to Tetu he finds the Heart-soul of Ra there,
indicating that the cult of Ra was established in Tetu as
was also the cult of Osiris. This Vignette then symbolizes
the fusion of the cults of the gods Tet, Ra, and Osiris, and
is of very rare occurrence. It illustrates lines iii and 112.

PLATE X

18. A large Cat, holding a knife "^"^^ in his right fore-
paw, cutting into a huge python, the head of which it
holds firmly on the ground with the other forepaw. The
python's tongue is projecting from its mouth. The Cat is
Ra, and the python is the symbol of Set, the arch-enemy of

264

The Papyrus of Ani

Ra. Behind the Cat is the famous Acacia Tree, which

flourished in very early times in Anu, i.e., On, or HeHopoHs.

The slaying of the python by
the Cat is symbolic of the
famous slaughter of the foes
of Ra, or Osiris, which took
place at Heliopolis, either in
the Predynastic Period or in
early dynastic times. The
appearance of the Acacia

— — Tree here suggests that a

tree-cult once existed at Heliopolis.

19. Three seated gods, two man-headed and the third
hawk-headed ; each holds a large knife. They probably
represent the gods Sau, Horus of Sekhem, and Nefer-Tem.

20. The god Khepera, in the form of a beetle-headed
man, seated in his boat. Behind him is the symbol of

"servant" n, or "bodyguard." The tops of the steering

poles and posts are in the form of the head of the hawk of
Horus. In the bows of the boat are a libation jar on a
stand and a lotus. Over the prow of the boat hangs a reed
mat, or a mass of reeds, on which the look-out god usually
takes his place. In this case the stand is occupied by
a swallow. In front of the boat kneel Ani and his wife,
with their hands raised in adoration of the god. The solar
character of the boat is indicated by the utckat "^^j which
is painted on its side.

21. Two seated dog-headed apes, with their forepaws
raised in adoration of the Eye of Ra "^^ ; before each is a
five-rayed star. These apes represent I sis and Nephthys.

22. Tem ^^ ^ , the god of the setting sun, seated
within his disk in the Sektet Boat ; the god wears the
Crown of the South and North X7 , and his face is towards

the right hand. In the bows of the boat is the sign n.

In front of the boat are a lotus and a libation vase on a
stand.

23. The god Rehu in the form of a lion lying on a long
low building. Over his back are bent some large plants,

^ This form of the Vignette is taken from a papyrus in Dublin.

Water, the Primeval God 265

round the stalk of one of which is coiled a uraeus. Behind
these is Ijl , the symbol of Uatchet, the Lady of Flame.

Text: [Chapter XVI I. ] Here begin the praises

AND GLORIFYINGS OF COMING FORTH FROM AND OF GOING
INTO THE GLORIOUS KhERT-NeTER, WHICH IS IN THE

Beautiful Amentet, and of coming forth by day in
all the forms of existence which it may please the

deceased to take, OF PLAYING AT DRAUGHTS AS HE
SITTETH IN THE SeH ChAMBER, AND OF APPEARING AS A
LIVING SOUL.

This Chapter is most difficult to understand, but its
importance from a mythological point of view cannot be
over-estimated. Why it is included in the Book of the
Dead at all is impossible to say, but as it is found in all the
great papyri it must have been regarded as a most precious
document by the theologians of Egypt. Its subject matter
is the creation of the world and the origin of the gods, and
the views set forth in it represent the special doctrines
taught by the priesthood of Heliopolis. The oldest copies
of it date from the Xlth dynasty, and a complete copy is
found in the Turin Papyrus, which may be assigned to the
XXV I th dynasty, or a little later ; therefore it is clear that
the Chapter was in use for about two thousand years. It
is the only ancient Egyptian exegetical work known.
Speaking generally, the Chapter consists of a series of
statements, each of which is followed by a demand for an
explanation of what has been stated. Thus in the Papyrus
of Nebseni we have : " I am Tem when he existed alone
*' in Nu ; Ra in his risings, in his beginning, ruling what he
" had made." These words are followed by the demand,
" Explain it," i.e., What does this mean? or To whom does
this refer ? Then comes the explanation : " This is Ra in
" his beginning, [when he was] ruling what he had made.
" In the beginning was Ra, rising on the throne of
" sovereignty [over] what he had made. When the pillars
" of Shu [i.e., of heaven) did not exist, he was on the high
" ground (or hill.) in Khemenu (Hermopolis). Behold,
" there were given to him the inert ones in Khemenu."
Or again,

" I am the Great God who created himself."

Explain this.

VOL. I. T

266 The Papyrus of Ani

" The Great God who created himself is Nu, the father
" of the gods.

" There is, however, another reading which says that
" the Great God who created himself is Ra, who created
" the Nine Gods (or, the Company of the Gods) out of his
" own names."

Explain this.

" It is Ra who made his own names into his members,
and these became the gods who are in his following."

The author of the Chapter begins by mentioning Tern,
a very ancient god of Heliopolis, and then refers to the
time when Tem existed by himself in Nu ^aaaaa jj . But

Nu was also a god, and we know from the hieroglyphs
which form his name that he was the personification of the
primeval Celestial Waters ; therefore there was something in
existence before Tem, and that something was the primeval
waters. According to the Egyptian theologian, everything
that exists had its origin in these waters. Now the author
of the Chapter wished to prove that the Sun-god Ra, the
greatest of the Heliopolitan gods from the IVth dynasty
onwards, was directly descended from Nu, the Celestial
Waters, and he therefore identified him at once with Tem.
Since, however, some might think that the sky was older
than the Sun-god Ra, he goes on to affirm that Ra was on
the high ground in Khemenu (i.e., Hermopolis, the city of
Thoth) before the supports of the sky (Shu) were created ;
meaning that Ra existed before there was any sky at all.
And when he says that Ra was ruling what he had made
he intends us to understand that Ra made everything that
exists. It was a common belief at Heliopolis when the
Pyramid Texts were written (Vth and Vlth dynasties) that
the immediate descendants of Tem were Shu, Tefnut, Keb,
Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus (or Anubis) ;
Ra, in fact, was not mentioned in the group. The only
way out of the difficulty was to identify Ra with Tem, and
this was the course adopted by the author of the Chapter,
With reference to the " inert ones, or children of revolt "

di f ^ J^ i J S ^ m ■ *,'-■ n^e^ti""--^. " Who were they?"
and "What were they?" arise naturally. When the
Celestial Water-god wished to create Tem, he found that
all the forces of inertness were arrayed against him ;

The Self-produced God 267

stillness disliked movement, darkness abhorred light, cold
was an enemy to heat, and lifelessness to life. The creation
of Tem destroyed all these forces, and they were utterly
vanquished when the sun rose for the first time. When
Ra was identified with Tem he became their master. They
were delivered over to Ra in Khemenu, the city of Thoth,
who composed the spells which Ra used in effectinor their
subjection. This allusion to Thoth suggests that the
XVIIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead must be regarded
as one of the books which Clement of Alexandria calls
" Hermetic," i.e., composed by Thoth.

The next subject discussed is the statement " I am the
Great God who created himself" The obvious answer to
the question "Who is this?" is " Nu, the father of the
gods." But then the author adds another reading, which
says that the self-created god is Ra, and that he created the
Nine Gods out of his own names, i.e., that each of the great
names of Ra became a god. This explanation is, however,
difficult to understand, and further information is demanded.
The answer then eiven is that the names of Ra became the
members of his body, and that these became the gods who
follow in his train.

In other sections of the XVIIth Chapter explanations ot
words are given which show that they had special myth-
ological significations. Thus in the phrase "I am Yesterday ;
I know To-day," Yesterday is explained to mean Osiris, and
To-day Ra ; and Eternity is the day, and Everlastingness
the night. Allusions to ancient legends of the gods are also
common ; in line 25 it is said that Ra had union with his
own body by means of his phallus ; in 11. 61-64 the gods
Hu and Saa are said to have come into being from the
drops of blood which fell from Ra when he cut off his
phallus ; in 1. 67 we read of the fight between Set and
Horus, when the former threw filth in the face of Horus,
and the latter destroyed the genital organs of Set ; in 1. 72
mention is made of the bringing back of the Eye of Ra by
Thoth ; in 1, 19 (Nebseni) the great fight in Anu, when the
foes of the great god Neb-er-tcher were destroyed, is referred
to; in 1. 22 the great battle which took place between the
gods and the Mesu Betesh, or rebels, is mentioned ; and a
little further on we read of the burning of the damned,
the destruction of the wicked, and the slaughter of souls.

T 2

268 The Papyrus of Ani

The section of the XVI I th Chapter that is omitted in
the Papyrus of Ani is naturally without illustrative Vignettes,
and we cannot therefore know the forms of Anaf and of
Shesmu, the headsman of Osiris, and the similitude of the
dread god Matchet also is not depicted. All must regret,
too, the want of Vignettes referring to the god who watched
by the Bend in the Lake of Fire, and the heart of Osiris,
and the Mesqet chamber, wherein the deceased was re-born.
The frequent prayers found throughout the Chapter prove
that Ani was a firm believer in the doctrines enunciated in it,
and that the chamber of torture in the Other World,
wherein were merciless gods with "cruel fingers," which
sliced up the bodies of the dead and shredded their flesh,
and a bloodthirsty executioner who slaughtered always, were
to him very real things indeed. Notwithstanding the many
difficulties that beset the modern student of this Chapter,
due partly to the perplexing character of the subject matter
and partly to the mistakes and omissions in the text, its
general meaning is clear, and it is easy to see that a
knowledge of its contents was held to be absolutely
indispensable to that soul who hoped to reach the Kingdom
of Osiris and to live with the god who alone could sustain it,
who was the only destroyer of wrong and the Guide to the
paths of Eternity. It was not Nu, the father of the gods, or
Tem, or Ra, who had the power to bestow everlasting life,
but Osiris, and Osiris only.

PLATES XI AND XII

The Egyptians believed that the country forming the
Kingdom of Osiris was divided into districts, or parts, the
boundary of each of which was marked by a fortress or
stronghold, which was held by a group of servants of the god.
They also thought that these forts were used by the souls
of the dead on their journey to the " City of God," much as
modern travellers in the Sudan, or Persia, or Mesopotamia,
use the " khans " or inns, or halting-places, which supply
the weary wayfarer with shelter and food, and enable him to
enjoy some days of rest in security. At one time these
forts, or strongholds, or "gates," were thought to be seven
in number, and at other times the Egyptians believed their
number was ten, or fourteen, or sixteen, or even twenty-one.
The seven forts that formed a chain across Dead-land were

The Mansions of Osiris 269

called " Arits," a word which is often translated " Mansions,"
or " Halls." Each Arit was provided with a doorkeeper, a
watcher, or official who kept a good look out to announce
the arrival of a traveller, and a herald, who interviewed the
visitor and enquired his name, and reported it to his
companions. This arrangement is identical with that which
has been common in all parts of Africa from time immemorial
in respect of the forts that are built at the entrances to
towns and villages. In the case of the Seven Arits no soul
could hope to gain admission to anyone of them unless it
was able to state the names of the doorkeeper and watcher
and herald, and to repeat a formula which would convince
them of its good faith. The writer of the Book of the Dead
composed a Chapter in which the names of all the officials
of the Arits were given, as well as the seven formulae_ that
secured for those who knew them admission into the Arits.
In Plates XI and_ XII we see Ani and his wife Tutu
approaching the Arits, and pictures of the gods who
ofuarded them.

Vignette I. The First Arit. The cornice of the

door of the First Arit is ornamented with symbols of life -f-,

Stability u, and power 1. At the entrance sit three gods,

the first having the head of a hare, the second the head of
a serpent, and the third the head of a crocodile. The first
holds a whisk, made probably of the tail of some animal,
and each of the others a knife.

Text: [Chapter CXLVII.]

The name of the Doorkeeper is Sekhetherash-
taru.

The name of the Watcher is Metiheh.

The name of the Herald is Hakheru.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

Vignette 2. The Second Arit. This Arit is guarded
by three gods : the first has the head of a lion, the second
the head of a man, and the third the head of a dog. Each
holds a knife.

Text : The name of the Doorkeeper is Unhat.

The name of the Watcher is Seqether.

The name of the Herald is Uset.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

270 The Papyrus of Ani

Vignette 3. The Third Arit. This Arit is guarded
by three gods : the first has the head of a jackal, the second
the head of a dog, and the third the head of a serpent.
The first holds a whisk, and each of the others a knife.

Text : The name of the Doorkeeper is Unemhau-
auentpehui.

The name of the Watcher isSeresher.

The name of the Herald is Aa.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

Vignette 4. The Fourth Arit. This Arit is guarded
by three gods : the first has the head of a man, the second
the head of a hawk, and the third the head of a lion. The
first holds a whisk, and each of the others a knife.

Text : The name of the Doorkeeper is Khesefherasht-
kheru.

The name of the Watcher is Serestepu.

The name of the Herald is Khesefat.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

Vignette 5- The Fifth Arit. This Arit is guarded
by three gods : the first has the head of a hawk, the second
the head of a man, and the third the head of a serpent.
The first holds a whisk, and each of the others a knife.

Text : The name of the Doorkeeper is Ankhfemfent.
The name of the Watcher is Shabu.
The name of the Herald is Tebherkehakheft.

These are followed by the formula that Ani recites. In
it the deceased says : " I have brought unto thee thy jaw-
" bones in Rasta, I have brought unto thee thy backbone
" in Anu, gathering together all thy members there." The
word "jawbones," arti, has been understood by some to
mean the upper and the lower jaw, but this is not the case,
for it indicates the right and left sides of the lower jaw only.
The Arab physicians in Egypt thought that the lower jaw
consisted of two parts, which were joined at the chin, and
the ancient Egyptians probably thought the same. The
mention here of the bringing of the "jawbones" is most
interesting, for it shows that at one time in Egypt the lower
jaw and the backbone were carefully preserved so that they
might be re-used in the reconstitution of the body. On
the preservation of the jawbone in Uganda and the bearing

The Mansions of Osiris 271

of the custom on primitive Egyptian religious beliefs see my
Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. II, pp. 91 ff.
The association in the text of the "jawbones" with Osiris
is a valuable proof of the identity of beliefs in the Sudan
and Egypt.

Vignette 6. The Sixth Arit. This Arit is guarded
by three gods : the first has the head of a jackal, and the
second the head of a crocodile, and the third the head of a
dog. The first holds a whisk, and each of the others a knife.

Text : The name of the Doorkeeper is Atektaukehaq-
kheru.

The name of the Watcher is Anher.

The name of the Herald is Atesher.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

Vignette 7. The Seventh Arit. This Arit is
guarded by three gods : the first has the head of a hare,
the second the head of a lion, and the third the head of a
man. The first and second each hold a knife, and the third
a whisk.

Text : The name of the doorkeeper is Sekhemme-
tenusen.

The name of the Watcher is Aamaakheru.

The name of the Herald is Khesefkhemi.
These are followed by the formula that Ani recites.

The CXLVIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead also
deals with the Seven Arits ; that is, the Vignette consists of
the pictures of seven doors, and the text that accompanies
each picture contains merely three names. Of these names
one appears to be that of the door, and the other two are
the names of the officers of the door who are depicted below
the text. The guardian gods are sometimes all human-
headed, and at others all animal-headed ; in one papyrus
(Naville, Todtenbuch, Bl. CLI V, Ik) Set appears as one of the
guardians. In the Papyrus of Bakou (Brocklehurst Papyrus)
the CXLIVth Chapter is entitled the "Chapter of entering

in " 1 ~^t , and it is prefaced by a short prayer in

which the doorkeepers are entreated to " make a way to him
so that he may pass through you, for he is Nu," and " to
open the hidden habitations." In the CXLVIIth Chapter

272 The Papyrus of Ani

the text of a prayer is added to the Vignette of each Arit,
which in some papyri consists of a door by which only one
god is seated.

It has already been said that the fortresses in Dead-land
were sometimes believed to be ten, or fourteen, or sixteen,
or even twenty-one, in number ; the Papyrus of Ani makes
them to be ten, and calls them " Sebkhet," or " Pylons."
In Plates XI and XII we see Ani and his wife Tutu
advancing to the Ten Pylons, with their hands raised in
adoration. Each Pylon is guarded by a ministering god or
goddess, seated on a mat. As the deceased arrived at each
Pylon he made to it a short address, which to all intents
and purposes formed the name of the Pylon and of the
deity inside it. Thus, when he came to the First Pylon he
said : " I have made the way. I know you. I know thy
" name. I know the name of thy warder. Nebt-setau-qat-

" SEBT - HERT -NEBT-KHEBKHEB - SERT - METU-KHESFET-NESHNI-

" NEHMET-UAi-EN-i is thy name." This name translated
means : " Lady of tremblings, [surrounded by] lofty walls,
" the chieftainess, lady of destruction, the disposer of the
" words that drive away storms and deliver from destruction
" him that travelleth along the way."

Vignette I. The First Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a vulture-headed groddess wearing- a disk on her
head, and holding a whisk. Above the Pylon is a row of

A AAA which presumably represent spears or a protecting

wall.

Text : [Chapter CXLVI.] An address to the goddess,
and the name of the warder of the Pylon — Neruit.

Vignette 2. The Second Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a lion-headed goddess, holding a whisk, and on its
roof lies a monster speckled serpent.

Text : An address to the goddess, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — Mes-Ptah.

Vignette 3. The Third Pylon. In this Pylon is

seated a man -headed deity, holding a whisk, and above it

are the two Eyes of heaven, the Sun and the Moon, with

the emblems of eternity, water, and a vase between them

The Gates of the Other World 273

Text : An address to the deity of the Pylon, and the
name of its warder — Sebaq.

Vignette 4. Thp: Fourth Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a hornless, cow-headed goddess, holding a whisk,
and above it is a cornice formed of uraei with solar disks

on their heads ^PjP»-

Text : An address to the goddess, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — Nekau.

Vignette 5. The Fhth Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a hippopotamus-goddess. Her forefeet rest upon the
symbol of an organ of her body, and between them she
holds a large knife. Above the roof of the Pylon are the
symbols of " heat " and the " strength of youth," or perhaps

"fecundity" f||f|f(]|(|.

Text : An address to the goddess, and the name of
the warder of the Pylon — Hentet-Arqiu.

Vignette 6. Tpie Sixth Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a squat dwarf, who holds in his right hand a
whisk and in his left a large knife. On the roof lies a
monster speckled serpent. The size of this serpent cannot
be comprehended, and it is said to have been born in the
presence of the Still-Heart, i.e., Osiris.

Text : An address to the god, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — SemAtl

Vignette 7. The Seventh Pylon. In this Pylon
is seated a ram-headed god, holding a whisk. On the roof

is a row of S fl fl fi •

Text : An address to the god, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — Saktif.

Vignette 8. The Eighth Pylon. In this Pylon is
the hawk of Horus standing on a sepulchral building called

serekh (1 ^M^\ he wears the double crown of the
South and the North ^, and has a whisk before him and
an titchat '^^, behind him. On the roof of the shrine are
two human-headed hawks, emblems of the Souls of Ra
and Osiris, and two emblems of " life " X\ -j" ^g\ nr •

274 The Papyrus of Ani

Text : An address to the god, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — Khutchetef.

Vignette 9. The Ninth Pylon. In this Pylon is
seated a lion-headed deity with a disk on his head, and
holdine a whisk. Above the shrine is a series of uraei.

Text : An address to the deity, and the name of the
warder of the shrine — Arisutchesef.

Vignette 10. The Tenth Pylon. In this shrine is
seated a ram-headed deity wearing the Atef Crown J^ ,
and holding a whisk. On the roof of the Pylon are two
serpents.

Text : An address to the deity, and the name of the
warder of the Pylon — Sekhenur. The texts of the i ith-
2ist Pylons are wanting in the Papyrus of Ani. In the
Papyrus of Thena (Naville, op. cit., Bl. CLXIIIf), fourteen
Vignettes are given, and each is quite different from any of
the Vignettes in the Papyrus of Ani. The doors are
decorated with a variety of strange designs, e.g., the
eleventh door has on it the solar disk floating on water

•^iO"^, the third is decorated with ^^vi and t t t, the

A/\/VAAA

sixth with four uraei on a standard \lsmmk , etc. ; and

many of the doors are surmounted by bulls' heads, lions'

heads, etc. In the Turin Papyrus the first ten Pylons are

surmounted by serpents, the eleventh by two cats, the

twelfth by a serpent, the thirteenth by figures of the two

Nile-gods, the fourteenth by a bull's head and a serpent, and

the fifteenth by a row of $ fi 6 5 6 6 •

PLATES XII (continued) and XIII

Introduction to Chapter XVIII

Vignette I. The Osiris Ani standing with his hands
raised in adoration of the series of gods who preside over
the great cities of Egypt ; behind him stands his wife Tutu,
holding a sistrum in her right hand and the green head of
some plant in her left.

The Gates of the Other World 275

Text : A prayer of Ani to Khent Amentet Un-Nefer in
Abydos. He declares that his heart holds truth, that there
is no sin in his body, that he has not told lies or acted
deceitfully.

Vignette 2. A door surmounted by ostrich feathers
and uraei wearing disks [) U U O U • Before it stands the
Anmutef [ll^N. ^ 3 priest, wearing the lock of hair '^,

symbolic of youth, on the right side of his head. His
dress consists of a short white linen loin cloth and a leopard
skin, his arms coming through holes in the skin where the
fore-legs of the leopard had been. His left hand clasps the
skin of the right hind leg of the animal.

Text : An address to the Tchatchau Chiefs of heaven,
earth, and Khert-Neter. The Anmutef priest presents Ani
who, he says, is not obnoxious to any of the gods, and
claims admission for him among the Chiefs.

Vignette 3. Ani and Tutu as in Vignette i.

Text : Ani's prayer to the King of Khert-Neter and
Governor of Akert.

Vignette 4. A door surmounted by a figure of Anubis

^^ and an titchat. Before it stands the Sa-mer-f^^ <=z>,

dressed like the Anmutef priest.

Text : An address by the Sa-mer-f priest to the
Tchatchau of Ra-stau. He presents Ani and demands an
estate for him in Sekhet Hetepet, with cakes and air, and
asks that his rations may be like those of the Followers of
Horus. This Introduction is found in no papyrus save
that of Ani. Usually Chapter XVHI is regarded as a
continuation of Chapter XV H, and it is very rarely accom-
panied by Vignettes, other than those containing figures of
the gods only. In the Papyrus Busca (Naville, op. cit.,
Bd. I, Bl. XXXI) we see the deceased ploughing and
sowing, and he and his wife are dragging along the shrine
of Seker mounted on a sledge.

Vignette I. The five Chiefs of Anu (Heliopolis) :
(i) Temu, wearing the Crowns of the South and North
and a mendt. (2) The Sudani god Shu, with a black face,

276 The Papyrus of Ani

wearing a low crown made of feathers, with a sort of
streamer, which falls down behind his back. (3) The
Lioness-goddess Tefnut, also of Sildani origin, wearing on
her head the solar disk. (4) The god Osiris, wearing the
A tef Crown and a mendt. His face is green, which seems
to suggest old age, and he has the usual pointed and curved
African beard. (5) The god Thoth, ibis-headed.

Text: [Chapter XVIII. ] Without tide. The open-
ing section of this Chapter is unaccountably omitted in the
Papyrus of Ani, and a version of it is supplied in my
translation from the Papyrus of Nebseni.

Vignette 2. The gods and goddesses of Tetu (Busiris) :
(i) The god Osiris, as before. (2) The goddess Isis,

with jj on her head. (3) The goddess Nephtbys with the

hieroglyph for her name on her head Tf. (4) The god

Horus, son of Isis, hawk-headed.

Text : Section relating to setting up the tet in Tetu.

Vignette 3. The gods of Sekhem (Letopolis) :
(i) Osiris, as before. (2) Horus, wearing the Crowns of
the South and the North. (3 and 4) The two Eyes of Ra,
each on a pylon. (5) The god Thoth.

Text : Section relating to the " Things of the Night
Festival " in Sekhem.

Vignette 4. The gods of Pe-Tep (Buto in the Delta) :
(1^ Horus, as in the second Vignette. (2) Isis, as before.
(3) Kesta (Mesta), a son of Horus, man-headed. (4) Hapi
(Hep), a son of Horus, ape-headed.

Text : Section relating to the setting up of the canopied
throne for Horus after the overthrow of Set and his fiends
by the followers of Horus.

Vignette 5* The gods who are in Taiu-Rekhti :
(i) Osiris, as before. (2) Isis, as before. (3) Anubis,
jackal-headed. (4) A bearded god. (5) The god Thoth,
with a crescent moon, having the full moon inside it, on his
head.

Text: Section referring to the lamentation of Isis for
Osiris.

The Gods of the Osiris-cities 277

PLATE XIV

Vignette 6. The gods who are in Abydos : (i) Osiris,
as before. (2) Isis, as before. (3) Anubis, as before.

(4) The tet with the Two Eyes of Ra ^^ ^5-

Text : Section referring to the judgment of the dead
and the infliction of punishment upon those who are con-
demned to destruction in the judgment.

Vignette 7« The gods who preside over the judgment
of the dead : (i) Thoth, as before. (2) Osiris, as before.

(3) Anubis, as before. (4) A bearded god, Asten |]n''^''0'
the associate of Thoth.

Text : Section relating to the condemnation of Set and
his fiends, and to the carrying out of their sentence of doom.

Vignette 8. The three gods who presided over the
ploughing up of the earth in Tetu, and the mingling of the
blood of the rebels with the earth.

Text : Section referring to the slaughter of the followers
of Set, and the pouring out of their blood on the earth
before the gods, and the digging of the blood into the
ground. This section shows that a great slaughter of the
enemies of Osiris took place at T^tu, as well as at Hensu
(Herakleopolis), and it is clear that the sacrifices made there
were offered up to the tet, the symbol of a god who was
worshipped at Busiris in predynastic times.

Vignette 9. The great gods of Anrutef, a district of
Hensu in Upper Egypt : (i) Ra, hawk-headed, and wearing
the solar disk on his head. (2) Osiris, as before. (3) Shu,
the Sudani god from Baqem, with a green face, and wearing
a crown of feathers, from which a sort of streamer falls
down behind. (4) Beba, the first-born son of Osiris, dog-
headed. The forms of the name of the god last mentioned

are Beb JJ^, Baba J^J^I^, J %. J ^

^4. andAbabi^J^jqy.

Text : Section relating to the deposit of the relics of
Osiris, the thigh, the leg, and the heel at Anrutef, the place
where nothing grows.

278 The Papyrus of Ani

Vignette 10. The gods of Rasta : (i) Horus, hawk-
headed, and wearing the Crowns of the South and the
North. (2) The god Osiris, wearing the Atef Crown.
(3) Isis, wearing the symbol of a Sudani goddess on her

head instead of jj. (4) A god who is unnamed. We may

note, in passing, the omission of two of the Sons of Horus,
Tuamutef and Qebhsenuf, from the Vignettes.

Text : Section referring to the satisfaction of heart of
Osiris, and to the existence of peace in the east and west.

The XVIIIth Chapter contains ten addresses by the
deceased to Thoth, who is prayed to make his word truth
before his enemies, just as Thoth made the word of Osiris truth
before his enemies. In each address reference is made to
one of the very critical events which took place in the
history of Osiris. It will be noted that none of the great
cosmic gods took part in these occurrences.

The Rubric states that the recital of the Chapter shall
cause the deceased to come forth by day, to escape every fire
in the Other World, and to take any and every form he
pleases, and shall purify him from all uncleanness, and free
him from all the disabilities that cling to him upon earth.

PLATE XV

Vignette : A seated statue of Ani the scribe. Facing

it is a figure of the Sent priest H ^v , who is clad in linen

garments over which he has put a leopard's skin. He

holds in his hand the wooden instrument " tirheka " "^^f ? [_J,

I.e., " the mighty one of spells," which has one end in the
form of a ram's head. In front of the statue is a small box
containing unguents and colours, the instruments Scbur,

i< -^^ , and Twid ^^, 1 , and the Pesh-en-kef ^^-^a

\f^. The priest touches the mouth, the nose, and

the eyes of the statue with these instruments, and thereby

performs the great and solemn ceremony of Un-ra ■^^l ,

or " Opening the mouth." These ceremonies gave to the
deceased in the Other World the power to eat, drink, think,

Of Supplying Words of Power 279

talk, and move about at pleasure. As the priest performed
each ceremony he recited a formula that had the effect of
restorinij- to the deceased some power or faculty of which
the death of his body had deprived him. The ceremony of
"Opening" the mouth" is very ancient, and was certainly
performed on the statues of the dead in the earliest dynasties.
Tradition asserts that Ptah unbandaged the gods, and that
Shu opened their mouths with an iron knife, and that the
words that were recited whilst these gods were opening the
mouths of the gods were composed by Thoth, the great
magician of Ra, whose intelligence, or mind, he was. The
series of ceremonies which were performed when the mouth
of a king was opened, and the formulae which were recited
are given in a handy form in my edition The Opening of
the MoiUh, 2 vols. : London, 1909.

Text : [Chapter XXI 1 1.] The Chapter of Opening
THE Mouth of the Osiris Ani. The text states that it is
Set who keeps the mouth of Ani closed by bandages, and
says that Tem shall cast them away. Ani identifies himself

with the Sun-goddess Sekhmet,and with Sahit 'iqJ H (] (J "^lA

^ IX , a powerful Star-goddess and wife of Orion the Giant,

and he calls upon all the gods to do away with the ill -effects
of any spell which any ill-disposed being shall cast upon him.

Vignette : [Wanting in the Theban Recension.]

Text: [Chapter XXIV.] The Chapter of bringing
words of power, or spells, to the Osiris Ani in Khert-
Neter. In this Chapter Ani identifies himself with Tem-
Khepera, who composed the words of power that Thoth
pronounced, which resulted in the creation of the heavens
and the earth. In the character of this eod Ani could
pronounce words, the effect of which would be to give him
everything that he desired. Now, the Egyptians thought
that words were concrete things, and that it was possible to
steal from a man his words of power, or the spells where-
with he had been provided ; and whereas we should say
that we had forgotten a formula, the Egyptian would say
that it had been stolen from him. The object of this
Chapter was to give a man in Khert-Neter the ability to
make his words of power, supposing they had gone away,

28o The Papyrus of Ani

or been carried away from him, to return to him, no matter
how far away they had been carried. When the Chapter
was recited by Ani, his spells would return to him more
swiftly than greyhounds can run, and quicker than the light.
Its recital, too, would obtain for him the help of " him that

brouoht the ferry-boat of Ra," |\ "^'^^ \v\ ?^ ^ n''^ -^

i.e., of the orod Herfhaf ^ ' "tfP^^^ J), who ferried

the souls of the righteous over to the Island of Fire,
wherein Osiris reigned. The word of power which Ani
wanted to possess was that the utterance of which would
enable him to recreate himself. Closely connected with
this Chapter is the XXVth, a rendering of which is given
in the Appendix. The recital of this Chapter enabled a
man to recall to memory his name, if by any chance he
forgot it, and also the name of any and every god whom he
might happen to meet. As we have already seen, the
deceased was called upon to declare the names of the
guardians of the Arits and Pylons in the land of Osiris,
and, if he were unable to remember these names, he would
assuredly not be admitted into them. The nameless soul
in the Other World could not be presented to the Great
God, and, as his name could not appear in the list of the
names of those who were to receive their rations from the
table of the god, he would perish. The name of a man was
an integral part of his being, and to steal it from him was to
ensure his destruction. No greater harm could be done to
the deceased than the erasing of his name from his statues,
stelae, or tomb, for the destruction of his name was
equivalent to the destruction of his individuality.

Vignette : The scribe Ani standing upright and arrayed
in white. His right hand is laid on his breast, over his
heart, and with his left he touches a necklace, which
presumably he is receiving from the god Anubis. The
necklace is composed of several rows of beads and to it is
attached a pectoral in the form of a pylon, made of faience,
and inlaid with a figure of the Boat of Ra, with the solar
disk^ resting in it. Anubis is jackal-headed, and he holds

^ Or perhaps a scarab ; see the specimens exhibited in the Fourth
Egyptian Room in the British Museum.

Of Preserving the Heart

281

a sceptre in the right hand, and a symbol of " Hfe " -r-, in
the left.

Text : [Chapter XXVI.] The Chapter of giving

A HEART TO THE OsiRIS AnI IN KhERT-NeTER. The

object of this Chapter was the restoration of the heart of the
deceased to him. In primitive times the internal organs
were removed from the body after death and destroyed,
but when mummification of the bodies of the wealthy
became general, the heart, lungs, gall-bladder, etc., were
mummified separately. As it was Anubis who presided
over the mummification of the dead, and who had therefore
authority over the hearts of the dead, it was necessary to
invoke his goodwill, and to persuade him to return to the
deceased his heart in Khert-Neter. In the Vio-nettes to
this Chapter we see the god returning to the deceased his
heart, or giving to him a necklace with a pectoral containing
a stone scarab on which were written the magfical words of
the most important of the Chapters of the Heart (XXXb).
The heart was the home of the Ba-soul, on which the Ka,
or Double, depended for existence. The destruction of the
heart involved the annihilation of the Ba-soul and the Ka ;
and it was the Ba-soul which partook of the offerings made
to the dead. In the Chapter Ani says clearly : " If I have
" no heart I cannot eat of the cakes of Osiris, and I cannot
" sail up and down the Nile to Abydos and Tetu (Busiris)."
With the restoration of his heart Ani gained the power to
use his mind and understanding, to use his hands and legs,
and to do whatever his Ka called upon him to do, and to
revisit this earth at pleasure.

Vignette: [Wanting in
the Papyrus of Ani.] In
the Papyrus of Nebseni the
Vignette to this Chapter
shows us the heart of the
deceased being weighed
against himself by an ape
in the presence of Osiris
(see illustration). In other papyri the deceased is seen
addressing his heart, which rests on a standard, or the
Vignette is simply a heart, or a heart-pectoral.

VOL. I. U

282 The Papyrus of Ani

Text : [Chapter XXXb.] The Chapter of not

LETTING THE HEART OF THE OsiRIS AnI BE DRIVEN AWAY

FROM HIM IN Khert-Neter. This Chapter is one of the
most important of the Chapters of the Book of the Dead,
and it is unquestionably one of the oldest. It is found on
coffins of the Xlth dynasty, and in all great papyri which
have not been mutilated, and upon hundreds of hard green
stone scarabs. Egyptian traditions assign to it great
antiquity, one of them declaring it was " found " cut upon
the pedestal of a statue of Thoth in the reign of Hesepti
(Semti), a king of the 1st dynasty ; and another assuring us
that it was " found " by Prince Herutataf, the son of Khufu
(Cheops). The older tradition states that it was the work
of Thoth himself The copy of the Chapter given in this
Plate is, like that found in the Judgment Scene (Plate III),
incomplete, but the reader will find the missing words
supplied in the hieroglyphic text. The contents of the
Chapter have already been discussed in the description of
the Judgment, and nothing further need therefore be
said here.

Vignette : The scribe Ani arrayed in white apparel,
hugging closely to his body his Ba-soul, which is in the
form of a man-headed hawk.

Text : [Chapter LXI.] The Chapter of not

LETTING the Ba-SOUL OF A MAN BE SNATCHED AWAY FROM

HIM IN Khert-Ni-:ter. The title of this Chapter is easy
to understand, for a belief has always been common in
many parts of Africa that a man's soul can be bewitched
out of him, and that if an enemy succeeds in stealing the
soul, the man whose soul has been stolen will die. But the
connection of the title with the contents of the Chapter is
not so evident, for the deceased says that he came forth from

the primeval waters, akab "^ S '^ J ^^' ^"<^ ^^ prays

that he may have abundance of water, and have the mastery
over streams of water. In the Papyrus of Nefer-uben-f
this Chapter forms part of a much longer composition, which
comprises Chapters LX, LXI, and LXIl, and which has
for its Vignette the picture of a man washing out his mouth
by the side of a lake or stream. In the Saite Recension
the Chapter has a Vignette with the figure of a man holding

Of Obtaining Air 283

in one hand a sail. The contents of Chapter LXI certainly
refer to the drinking of water in Khert-Neter, and we can
only conclude that the present title of it is the result of
some mistake or misunderstanding of its words.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
holding in his left hand a sail 2Z3, symbolic of air or
breath.

Text: [Chapter LIV.] The Chapter of giving
AIR TO THE scribe Ani IN Khert-Neter. Ani identifies
himself with the Egg of the Great Cackler, that is to say,
with the egg of the Sun, which was laid by the great god
Keb. As the embryo inside the shell obtains air and
grows to maturity, so the embryo of Ani's spirit-body
breathes, and lives and grows inside the tomb, which takes
the place of the shell of the Egg. Ani also identifies himself

with the god Utcha-aabt ^ 'I'^T' J^ "^ 5^' of whom
little is known. The " dweller in his nest," and " the babe,"
are, of course, himself. In Chapters LV and LVI, which
are translated in the Appendix, he identifies himself with

the "jackal of jackals " Pf J"^ P ^ J "^ ^ j' ^"<^ with
Shu, the god of the air, and he addresses Tem, the god of
the north wind, and beseeches him to give him the breath
which is in his nostrils.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
holding in his right hand an unidentified object and in his
left a staff.

Text : [Chapter XXIX.] The Chapter of not
letting the heart of a man be taken away from him
IN Khert-Neter. This Chapter is extant in three forms,
and the principal object of all three was to prevent
Ani's heart from being bewitched away from him. In
Chapter XXIXa the deceased identifies himself with the
" Lord of hearts, the slayer of the heart," and with Horus,
" the dweller in hearts." In Chapter XXIXb he declares
that he is Benu, the soul of Ra, and the Guide of the gods
of the Tuat. With the help of this Chapter Ani could
prevent the messenger of any god from stealing his heart,
but he might steal the hearts of others.

u 2

284 The Papyrus of Ani

PLATE XVI

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
standing^ with both hands raised in the attitude of prayer to

his heart, which is resting on a stand v-2-. Facing him,

seated on the cubit of 77iadt / — ] , are four bearded gods, who
represent the Four Sons of Horus, Kesta (Mesta), Hapi,
Tuamutef, and Oebhsenuf.

Text: [CiiAi'TER XXVI 1.] The Chapter of not

LETTING TPIE HEART OF A MAN BE TAKEN FROM HIM

IN Khert-Neter. This Chapter is an address to the gods
who steal hearts, and crush them, and who reward a man
according to the deeds of his heart. Ani calls on them
not to touch his heart, because it belono-s to the ood of
many names (Tem, or Ra, or Thoth). Ani declares that
his heart is made new, that he has power over it, that it
and his members obey him, and that it shall never leave his
body. In the Appendix translations are given of the
supplementary Chapters XXVIII, XXIXa, and XXXa.
The first part of Chapter XXXa resembles that of a part
of Chapter XXXb, but the ending is different, and the Sons
of Horus are entreated by the deceased to intercede for
him with Ra, and to cause the terrible goddess Nehebka to
do him no harm. The Vignette of Chapter XXVI 1 1 is of
interest, for we see in it a monster in human form with a
shaggy mane and whiskers round his face and a tail ; and
his general appearance suggests that he was intended to
represent a gorilla, or chimpanzee, though of course these
animals have no tails. It is probable that the artist drew
the monster, of which he must have heard by reports that
filtered down the Nile from the Southern Siklan, and added
a tail because he thought he ought to have one.

. Vignette : The scribe Ani and his wife Tutu standing
up to their knees in a canal or arm of the Nile, scooping up
water into their mouths with their right hands. Ani holds

in his left hand a sail -C-^, symbolic of air or wind, and Tutu

holds in her left hand a fan y^. By the side of the water

two young palms and a large mature palm are growing, and
from the leafy crown of the large palm hang two clusters of
ripe dates.

Of Obtaining Air 285

Text: [Chapter LVIII.] The Chapter of breathing

THE AIR, AND OF HAVING DOMINION OVER THE WATER IN

Khert-Neter. About the meanings of the Vignette and
of the title of this Chapter there is no room for doubt ; they
refer to the drinking of water and to the breathing of air by
Ani in the Other World. The text of the Chapter seems
to indicate that Ani wishes to enter into a certain part of
the Other World, in the company of the Merti goddesses.
Some god, name unknown, asks him who he is, what is his
name, and where he is going. Ani refers to a boat which
he has, and repeats the magical names of it and its parts.
The Chapter ends with a prayer for cakes, bread, ale, and
flesh, of which he wishes to partake in the temple of Anpu.
This Chapter is not found in other papyri containing the
Theban Recension, and its title in the Papyrus of Ani
must have been given to it by mistake.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,

kneelintr in adoration under the branches of a lartje fine

... . ^

sycamore tree, which is growing by the side of a lake of

water [SMI . Almost hidden in the branches is the figure of

the goddess Nut, who is giving to Ani a table of food with

one hand, and a vessel of pure water with the other. The

tree appears to be the sycamore fig-tree, and to be laden

with fruit. This Vio^nette suQ^o-ests that at one time tree-

worship was common in Egypt, as it is in certain other

parts of Africa at the present day.

Text : [Chapter LIX.] The Chapter of snuffing

THE air, and of HAVING POWER OVER THE WATER IN KhERT-

Neter. Ani's petition for the water and air which are in
Nut, i.e., the Sky, of which goddess the sycamore was the
symbol. Ani again identifies himself with the Egg of the
Great Cackler, with the life in which his own life is bound up.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
seated upon a chair of state with a high back. In his right
hand he holds the KJierp sceptre, symbolic of his authority,
and in the other his staff of office. Before him is a table.
In the Turin Papyrus the deceased stands before a
sepulchral shrine.

Text : [Chapter XLIV.] The Chapter of not
DYING A second TIME IN Khert-Neter. The Egyptians

286 The Papyrus of Ani

believed that the Kau, or Doubles of the dead, lived on the
souls of the offerings that were made regularly in the tombs
wherein their bodies were laid, and that if for any reason
an interruption in the supply of food took place, the Kau
suffered hunger and thirst. The Kau might wander about
and prolong their existence by eating offal in the desert,
and by drinking dirty water, but unless the supply of
offerings was renewed they starved to death. Moreover,
it was possible, they also thought, that the Kau might suffer
death a second time through the displeasure of the
Tchatchau chiefs and the Sheniu officials who administered
the Kingdom of Osiris. This Chapter was written to enable
the deceased to identify himself with the never-setting, or
imperishable, stars, and with Ra and Horus, who were
immortal. He who was crowned " King of the Gods " could
not die a second time.

Vignette : The mummy of the Osiris Ani being
embraced by Anubis, the god of the embalmment chamber
and master of medical knowledge.

Text : [Chapter XLV.] The Chapter of not
ROTTING IN Khert-Neter. The object of this Chapter is
quite clear, namely, to prevent the mummy of the deceased
from rotting away through the effects of improper or
unskilful mummification. Ani wished to be mummified by
Anubis, who carried out the mummification of Osiris
whilst Isis recited spells that had been composed for her
by Thoth. Anubis embalmed Osiris with such skill that
the flesh of the god never decayed, or crumbled away, or
fell into dust, and the medicaments and swathings which he
employed in the work were of the finest quality, and
possessed preservative properties in the highest degree.
The recital of this Chapter provided the deceased with the
services of Anubis. Chapters CLXXV and CLXXVI bear
the same title, and were written with the same object as
this Chapter.

Vignette : A doorway, presumably the doorway of the
tomb. By one jamb stands the Heart-soul of Ani in the
form of a man-headed hawk, and by the other a Benu bird,
which symbolized the soul of Ra.

Text: [Chapter XLVI.] The Chapter of not
perishing, and of becoming alive in Khert-Neter. The

Of Preventing Decay of the Body 287

object of this Chapter was to enable the spiritual members
of Ani to emerge from his body and from his tomb,

and to join the Henmemet spirits i vj ^^^^m' ^^

m m\ ^C ^ J) ' ' ^^^ ^^ ^^^ oldest orders of spirits,
who dwelt in heaven. It is possible that the Benu
bird may here symbolize the Spirit-soul of Ani, which,
unlike the Heart-soul, could never be destroyed or die.
The Heart-soul, as we have seen, might in certain circum-
stances suffer the second death. The Benu bird as the
incarnation of the Soul of the Sun-god imparted some of its
character of immortality to the mortal soul of Ani.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white linen
garments, walking away from the block of slaughter in
Khert-Neter, which somewhat resembles a guillotine.
Those who were to be slaughtered placed their necks
between the two upright posts, and the huge knife descend-
ing upon them cut off their heads.

Text : [Chapter La.] The Chapter of not enter-
ing INTO THE CHAMBER OF THE BLOCK OF EXECUTION.

This text states that the vertebrae of the neck that join
Ani's head to his body were knitted together in heaven for
him by Ra in primeval times. This being so, it is impossible
for any hostile god to separate the vertebrae of his neck,
or to remove his head from his body. Curiously enough,
it is also said that Set knitted together the vertebrae of
Ani's neck, just as Ra did. Now Set succeeded in hacking
off the head of Osiris, and, as he might cut off Ani's head
also, Ani relies on the recital of this Chapter to give his
body strength to resist any possible attack of Set. The
beheading of the wicked was performed nightly in the
torture chambers of the Other World under the direction

of Shesmu ^ v> A^ , the terrible executioner of Osiris.

The recital of this Chapter also secured for Ani immunity
from the passing upon him of the sentence of beheading by
Osiris.

PLATE XVII

Vignette : Ani, arrayed in white linen garments,
standing with his hands raised in entreaty or prayer to

three gods, each of whom holds a sceptre 1 in his right

288 The Papyrus of Ani

hand and the symbol of "life " in his left. In a Vignette

published by Naville, a figure of the Tet H , or symbol of

the uterus of I sis, is seen grasping the left arm of the
deceased with a pair of human arms and hands.

Text: [Chapter XCIII.] The Chapter of not

LETTING A MAN BE TRANSPORTED TO THE EaST IN KhERT-

Neter. The meaning of the text of this Chapter is com-
paratively plain. It opens with an address to the Phallus
of Ra, and continues with a prayer in which Ani begs that
he may not be carried by force to the East, or be made to
take part in the festivals that are held there. The Kingdom
of Osiris, we know, was situated to the west of the Nile,
and it is possible that the only object of the recital of this
Chapter was to prevent Ani from being set on the wrong
road, and from arriving at the place of slaughter instead
of the realms of joy of Osiris. On the other hand, it seems
that there must be some meaning in the Chapter which we
have not grasped, and the mention of the phallus of Ra
and the Vitrnette of the o-enital oro^ans of Isis seem to
suggest that the East was a place of abomination to the
Egyptians, because sexual orgies of an irregular character
were carried on there.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white linen
apparel, standing and addressing a god. who has his face
turned round behind him, and who is seated in a boat ;
Ani grasps his palette in his left hand. This is the god

Herfhaf "^ ' 'W>^^^, who was the celestial Ferryman, and

who ferried over the souls of the righteous to the Island of
Fire where Osiris reigned. None but the just could enter
his boat, and his face was turned round in order that he
might see what was going on behind his back, and prevent
improperly qualified souls from making use of his boat. In
the Turin Papyrus there is a table of offerings in the boat,

and in front of the boat itself is the symbol of the East tK .

It is not clear why Ani is grasping his palette, and in the
Turin Papyrus the deceased has both hands empty.

Text: [Chapter XCIIIa.] Another Chapter. In
other papyri these two Chapters form one, and the Turin
Papyrus suggests that it should properly only have one
Vignette, namely, that in which Herfhaf appears.

Of Keeping the Head on the Body 289

Vignette : The scribe Ani addressing three gods.
The Turin Papyrus proves that the Vignette which is
described above under Chapter XCIII really belongs to
Chapter XLIII, and that either the artist who illustrated
the Papyrus of Ani painted it in the wrong place, or the
scribe misplaced the text.

Text: [Chapter XLIII.] The Chapter of not

LETTING THE HEAD OF A MAN BE CUT OFF HIM IN KhERT-

Neter. In this Chapter Ani identifies himself with the
Great One and the Son of Fire, to whom his head was
given after it had been cut off. Since the head of Osiris
was cut off, Ani could not expect to avoid a similar fate,
but the head of Osiris was not taken away from him, and
Ani prays that his head may never be carried away, for he
is Osiris himself. It is now well known that in primitive
times in Egypt the bodies of the dead were dismembered
before burial, probably as the result of religious beliefs.
This is clear from passages like the following, wherein we
read that the s'ods : —

Give to thee thy head, a a ' ® '^^^^^ •

Present to thee thy n W ^ (] ^^"^ rl t1 ri

bones, ^-^J^l'^^^^^'

Collect thy members, c:^> /^ ^^^ I "^^ J^ .

Bring to thee thy heart n q ^'^"^^ n ^'^^^ = n a ^-=> 1

in thy body, 4 Jj o I ^^=^ J "^^^.M^ ^:^*

As the practice of embalming grew and spread in Egypt
in early dynastic times, as the result of the growth of the
cult of Osiris, the custom of dismembering the body
gradually fell into disuse, and at length the only portions
of the body which were removed from it during the process
of embalming were the viscera, and these were mummified
separately. At the time when the Papyrus of Ani was
written there was little chance of the head beine severed
from the mummy wilfully, nevertheless Ani had the Chapter
included in his papyrus, wishing to run no risk of dis-
memberment, accidental or otherwise.

^ Pyramid of Pepi I, 1. no.

290

The Papyrus of Ani

Vignette : The mummy of Ani lying on its bier, with
a stand containing burning incense at the head and at the
foot of it. Above the mummy hovers his Heart-soul in the
form of a man-headed hawk, holding in his claws shen Q,
the symbol of the sun's course and of eternity. This the
soul is presenting to its body with the view of making it
everlasting.

Text : [Chapter LXXXIX.] The Chapter of causing

THE heart-soul TO BE UNITED TO ITS BODY IN KhERT-

Neter. By the recital of this very important Chapter Ani
hoped to gain possession of his Heart-soul (Ba) and of his
Spirit-soul (Khu), and to effect the union of the former

with its material body khat '^p,, and the union of the

latter with its Spirit-body scth | U . Heart-soul and body

would then exist eternally upon the earth, and the Spirit-
soul and its ethereal and indestructible envelope would have
their being among the gods. The Rubric of the Chapter
orders that an amulet in the form of a Heart-soul made of
gold and inlaid with precious stones shall be tied to the neck
of the mummy. If this were done it was believed that the
gods would compel Ani's Heart-soul to visit its body
regularly, and so prevent it from decaying, and that both
Heart-soul and body would be able to visit during the
seasons of festivals the city of Anu, where Heart-souls weie
united to their bodies by thousands. In the Turin Papyrus
it is expressly stated that the presence of such an amulet on
the body would prevent it from decaying, and would prevent
the Heart-soul from leaving it.

Vignette : The Heart-soul of the scribe Ani, in the
form of a man-headed bird, standing
in front of the door of his tomb.
The papyri afford many variants of
the Vignette of this most interesting
Chapter, In the Papyrus of Khari
(Fig. i) we see the deceased standing
before his tomb, of which he has

opened the door I, and his Heart-

' KiG, I.

soul in the form of a man-headed

hawk flying out to meet him. In the Papyrus of Amenhetep

Of Obtaining Freedom for the Soul 291

Fig. 2.

(Fig. 2) we see the deceased actually opening the door

of a shrine resting on the cubit of 77iaat iC=), and behind

him stands his Heart-soul with the
symbol of " life " above it. The
third variant (Fig. 3), from the
Papyrus of Nefer-uben-f, is very
Q i^^ ^ interesting. The building here re-

\ J^ / W 1 presented is not a tomb, but an

ordinary house, above which shines
the noon-day sun. Walking away
from the house is a figure of the
deceased coloured black, and above

his head hovers his Heart-soul. The black figure is the

Ka, or Double of the deceased,

which as we have seen is always

intimately connected with the

Heart-soul. The Ka died if the

Heart-soul died, for it depended

for its existence on the Heart-soul,

which maintained itself on the

offerings that were made in the

tomb. The connection between

the Heart-soul and the Ka was

so close that if the former were imprisoned in the tomb,

the latter suffered imprisonment also.

Text: [Chapter XCL] The Chapter of not letting

THE SOUL OF A MAN BE SHUT UP IN KhERT-NeTER. This

Chapter is an address to the Soul-god, i.e.y Osiris, who is
entreated to make a path for the dual-soul of Ani. Ani
rejoices in the fact that he is an " equipped Spirit-soul "

'^, ^ A ""^^ , which means, presumably, that his dual-
soul is complete now that he is master of his Heart-soul,
or now, as we read in the Papyrus of Nu, that his Spirit-
soul, and Heart-soul, and Ka, or Double, are re-united.
The Rubric states that the Spirit-soul that possesses a
knowledge of this Chapter shall not be stopped at any door
in Khert-Neter, and that it shall go in and out of every
part of this region millions of times.

Vignettes : (i) Ani standing by the door of his tomb ;
(2) Ani walking out of the tomb, with his Heart-soul
hoverinor above his head.

Fig.

292 The Papyrus of Ani

Text: [Chapter XCII.] The Chapter of opening

THE TOMB TO THE HeART-SOUL AND THE SHADOW, AND OF
COMING FORTH BY DAY, AND OF HAVING POWER OVER THE

LEGS. The recital of this Chapter procured for Ani the
power to leave the tomb on the " day of souls," i.e.. All
Souls' Day, and to see Ra seated in his boat, and to behold
the Great God on the day when souls were " counted up"
(or inspected, or judged), and to sit down among" the Chiefs
in the Other World. A soul that possessed a knowledge of
this Chapter had no need to fear the opposition of the fiends
who fetter the members of Spirit-souls, and shut in Spirit-
souls, and who wished to do harm to it.

PLATE XVIII

Vignette : The boat containing the shrine, or ark, of
the god Seker, or Death personified, resting upon its sledge ;
before it kneels the Osiris Ani, with both hands grasping
a part of the boat.

Text : [Chapter LXXIV.] The Chapter of lift-
ing UP THE FEET {i.e., OF WALKING), AND OF COMING FORTH

UPON THE EARTH. This Chapter contains a petition to
Seker, who had the power to stand on his feet in Khert-
Neter, for strength to walk. Ani identifies himself with the
god who illumines the great constellation of the Thigh,
i.e., the Great Bear in the northern sky. The Thigh was
in the older mythology associated with Set, who, it will be
remembered, was wounded in the thigh by Horus because
he had swallowed the crescent moon one evening when
wandering about the sky. The lack of power to walk
which characterized the dead body was associated by the
Egyptians with the evil influence of Set. This could only
be overcome by the power of the god of light, i.e., the Rye
of Horus, and, when Ani had identified himself with this
god, the power to stand on his feet and walk was assured
to him.

Vignette : The Osiris Ani standing before the Moun-
tain of Amenti, by which arc placed a vessel of drink and
a loaf of bread.

Text : [Chapter VIII.] The Chapter of passing
THROUGH Amenti, and of [coming forth by day]. In

Of Obtaining Life after Death 293

this Chapter Ani claims the power to pass through Amenti
because he is Osiris, and because he has delivered the Eye
of Horus, that is to say, he has secured for himself the
attributes and strength of Thoth. Ani also identifies
himself with the Moon-god, who was a form of Osiris and
the symbol and type of new birth, or resurrection. This
Chapter is important as showing that Osiris was certainly
regarded as the god of the moon under the XVI I Ith dynasty,
and that the death of the body was compared to the period
of the month during which the moon was invisible. As
surely as the moon reappeared in the sky, so surely would
Ani appear in heaven ; and his course through Amenti
would be as triumphant as that of the moon through the
heavens.

Vignette : [Wanting in the Papyrus of Ani.]

Text: [Chapter II.] The Chapter of Coming
Forth by Day, and of living after death. This
Chapter is an address to the One who makes his presence
visible by shining from the moon. Among modern African
nations he is called the " spirit of the moon." Ani appeals to
him as the great symbol of the resurrection, and as the
beinp- who revivified himself, and who has oathered about
him the spirits who share his nature and his attributes.
The favour of the god of the moon enabled Ani to make
his way successfully through the Other World to the realm
of Osiris, and this Chapter is one of the oldest and most
important spells in the Book of the Dead.

Vignette : A Ram-god, symbolic of the Soul-god of
Tetu, standing upon a sepulchral building, which rests on
a mat. He has on his head a high crown with plumes,
which, together with a disk, rests upon a pair of long
horizontal horns. This ram is identical in form with the
ram that was the incarnation of Khnemu, the great god of
the First Cataract. Before him is a stand with offerings
upon it, and in front of him is Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
with his hands raised in adoration.

Text : [Chapter IX.] The Chapter of Coming
Forth by Day having passed through Amhet. The
recital of this Chapter by Ani gave him power to pass
through the awful chamber of Amhet in the kingdom of

294 The Papyrus of Ani

Seker. the god of Death, and to traverse every path in
Dead-land successfully, and to emerge before Osiris sound
and well. Ani cries out in triumph : " I have stabbed (or,

cut out. this heart of Suti "fH ^ ^ ° ^'1^"J.

which is only a figurative way of saying : " I have slain
death." In the land of Death Suti, i.e.. Set, ruled supreme,
and every soul who entered unprovided with the knowledge
of the words of this Chapter suffered death, final and
absolute. But Ani has traversed his domain, and slain the
heart of Set by means of these words, and he confidently
calls upon the gods and the Spirit-souls in the kingdom of
the Soul-god to make a path for him among them, as the
beings have done in Dead-land.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
and holding in his right hand a symbol of his office and in
the other a long staff such as was carried by high officials,
standing before the door of a house.

Text: [Chapter CXXXII.] The Chapter of

MAKING A MAN TO RETURN TO SEE HIS HOUSE UPON EARTH.

The recital of this Chapter enabled Ani to revisit his house
upon the earth. By means of it he identified himself with
the Lion-god and with the Eye of Horus, and was enabled
thereby to transform himself into its light, and to come
upon the earth and to look upon his old home. In the
Vignette to the Chapter in the Brocklehurst Papyrus we
see the Heart-soul of the deceased hovering above the house,
close to which is a tree. One papyrus (Naville, op. cit.,
Bd. I, Bl. 145) adds the apparently irrelevant words:
" Behold, I have advanced, I have not been found light in

" the Balance, which is rid of my case " ^J^ ^\ 7^ v^ (1 R

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
spearing a serpent.

Text: [Chapter X or XLVIII.] The Chapter of
A man Coming Forth by Day against his foes in
Khert-Neter. By the recital of this Chapter Ani obtained

Of Revisiting the Old Home 295

the protection of the Great Spirit-soul, i.e., Osiris, and the
use of his words of power ; these enabled him to eat with
his mouth, and to masticate his food with his jaws. The
appositeness of the latter remark is not evident. In the
Papyrus of luau (ed. Naville, Plate XI) the deceased is
seen driving" a spear into the neck of an enemy in human
form, who is kneeling before him, and who has his arms
tied at the elbows behind his back. It is possible that we
have here a reminiscence of the old cannibalistic custom of
eating an enemy, and the allusion to the mouth and jaws
seems to support this view.

PLATE XIX

Vignette : The Boat of Ra resting on the sky i;=q.
The god is hawk-headed, and has the solar disk on his
head. On the mat hanging over the prow of the boat is
seated a figure of Harpokrates, and before him stands Ani,
with his hands raised in adoration of the god.

Text : [Chapter XV.] A Hymn of Praise to Ra

WHEN HE RISETH UPON THE HORIZON, AND WHEN HE

SETTETH IN THE [land of] LIFE. This Section of the
Book of the Dead contains hymns to the Sun-god, some of
which were sungf in the morningr and some in the evening-.
The subjects of all these hymns are : (i) The strength,
greatness, and glory of the Sun-god, and the joy with which
he traversed the heavens in his morningr and eveningr boats.
(2) The homage which is paid to him on earth, and the
reverent worship accorded to him by the gods. {3) The
overthrow of Aapep, the Arch-fiend, and of all the devils
who aid him in his attempt to obstruct the rising of Ra in
the sky. (4) The attributes of the Sun-god, and the things
which he has created.

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
with his hands raised in adoration of the god ; behind him
stands his wife, "the Osiris, the lady of the house, the
singing-woman of Amen, Tutu." She is dressed as before,
and holds in her hands the symbols of her office.

Text : A short hymn to Osiris, the everlasting Lord,
Un-Nefer-Heru-Khuti, who is Ptah-Seker-Tem in Anu,
and the creator of the gods of Memphis, and the Guide of

296 The Papyrus of Ani

the orods in heaven, and who is here addressed as the Q-od
who raises up the dead to look upon him, and who bestows
upon them the air that they breathe. This is followed by
a Litany containing nine short sections, after each of which
were repeated a petition by Ani for power to continue his
journey in the Other World in safety, and a declaration
that his words were true, that he had not told lies knowingly
nor committed any fraudulent or deceitful act. This Litany
in the form in which it here appears is found in no other
Theban papyrus of the period.

PLATE XX

Vignette : Osiris, in the form of a mummy standing in
a shrine, with Isis. He wears the Crown of the South, and

holds in his hands ^/\ 1 f, symbols of sovereignty and
dominion. Isis embraces the body of the god with her
right arm.

Text : [Chapter XV.] A Hymn of Praise to Ra

WHEN HE RISETH IN THE EASTERN PART OF HEAVEN. This

interesting composition contains a series of addresses to the
Sun-god among which are several short personal prayers
that are put into the mouth of Ani himself. It is important
to note that Ani wishes to appear in the sky with the Sun-
god when he rises in the morning, and to sail with him in
the Antchet and Sektet Boats, and to enter with him into
the night-sky when he sets upon this world. Thus Ani
becomes a worshipper of Ra, and a devout votary of the
Sun-god, and it seems as if he will be content with nothing
less than living in the absolute presence of the god himself
The lio:ht of Ra is to draw him forth from the tomb, and to
renew the life of all his members, and Ani beseeches the
god to raise him to life again, because, he says : " I am one
" of those who worshipped thee when thou livedst upon the
" earth." It is difficult at first sight to reconcile his
adherence to the cult of Ra with his belief in Osiris, and
to understand how he could live in the Boat of Ra all day
and yet be a loyal servant of Osiris carrying out the behests
of that god, at the same time. The true explanation of the
matter is that Ra and Osiris are only two forms of one god.
Ra was the form which that god assumed during the day-
time, and Osiris was the form which he took during the

Hymn to Ra 297

hours of the night. The sun was the habitation of this god
during the day, and the moon was his dwelUng place during
the night.

The second section of the Hymn contains meditations
upon the greatness and majesty of the god of the sky.
Having once entered upon his course he follows it by a law
that cannot be altered. As he passes over the sky with
irresistible force every face watches the symbol of the god
who makes himself visible to all men at dawn and at even.
The strength of his light and the variety of its colours can
neither be told nor described. The god who is invisible
by day because of the dazzling splendour in which he is
enshrined is One, and one only, and it is only through his
own will and word that he becomes the Prince of Heaven.
The speed of the Sun-god made the author of the hymn to
marvel, for in one moment the god travels a distance which
it would take a man millions of years to accomplish ; and
by his journeying the hours of the night as well as those of
the day are numbered. Equally worthy of wonder is the
daily birth of Ra, whose members are fashioned and whose
body is born into the sky without any pain arising in the
being of his creator.

PLATE XXI

[Chapter XV — contimted.^ The great god, the
begetter and maker of Ra, is the creator of eternity, and
is mightier than the gods ; to him Ani gives his heart
unhesitatingly. Moreover, this god is almighty, for he is
able to overthrow all the powers of evil and to stablish his
throne, despite the powers of wickedness and darkness ;
and he can destroy all sin. Therefore to him Ani appeals
to make his word truth in Khert-Neter, and to make him
sinless therein. Only by his help can Ani hope to obtain
a place with the vassals of the Spirit-souls of Ra, and to
live among the souls in the Land of Holiness ; unless the
Sun-god makes to prosper his journey he can never hope
to arrive safely in Sekhet-Aaru. The two paragraphs at
the end of the hymn suggest that the Sun-god is speaking
to Ani, for the text reads : " Thou shalt appear in heaven,
" thou shalt traverse the sky, thou shalt be side by side
" with the grods of the stars," and he is assured that he shall
have a place in the Boat of the Sun, and shall see the Two

VOL. I. X

298 The Papyrus of Ani

Fishes, the Abtu and the Ant, performing their evolutions
by the prow of the Boat, and shall behold Thoth and Maat
directing the Boat, and Horus acting as its steersman. And
he shall be with the gods who welcome Ra.

Vignette : Ra, hawk-headed, with the solar disk upon
his head and the symbol of " life " upon his knees, seated on
viaclt in one of the Boats of Ra which rests upon heaven ;
before him in the boat stands Ani with his hands raised
in adoration. On the mat that falls over the prow of the
boat a swallow is perched.

Text : [Chapter CXXXIII.] The tide of this Chapter
is wanting, and the only note at the beginning of the text is
to the effect that the Chapter is to be recited on the ' ' day
of the moon," i.e., on the first day of the New Moon. In
other papyri it is called the " Book of making perfect the
" Spirit-soul in Khert-Neter in the presence of the Great
" Company of the Gods." The text refers to the strength
and soundness of the body of Ra, and to his triumphant
journey towards Amenti, to which he comes in a re-con-
stituted body daily. The recital of this Chapter renewed
the members and life of Ani as those of Ra were renewed,
and secured for him a welcome from the gods similar to that
accorded to Ra himself. Moreover, it prevented him from
remaining inert in the earth, and gave him the power to
hear and to see everything said and done in Khert-Neter.
Above all, it transformed the flesh of Ani into the divine
flesh of Ra, and when he seated himself in the Boat of
Ra the gods believed that they were looking upon Ra
himself.

PLATE XXII

Vignette to the Rubric : The god Ra, hawk-headed,
with the solar disk upon his head and the symbol of " life "

•T", upon his knees, seated on rnaat in one of the Boats of

Ra which rests on heaven. The paddles, which are fastened
to hawk-headed supports, have curved handles in the form of
the uraei of I sis and Nephthys, and the Boat is protected
by an utchat amulet on the port bow. In front of the Boat
is a " heaven of stars."

Rubric : The recital of the above Chapter would
compel the gods to mistake Ani for Ra, provided that the

Hymn to Ra 299

directions given in the Rubric were obeyed : " Make a
" model of the boat of Ra seven cubits long, put in it
" figures of the gods and a figure of Ra, and paint a
" representation of the starry sky, and purify the same
" with natron [water] and incense. Then make a figure
" of Ani and set him in the boat with the other figures,
" and the dead shall prostrate themselves before him, and
" the gods see in him a god like unto themselves. The
" ceremonies connected with this Chapter must be per-
" formed with great secrecy, and no woman may be
" present ; no one, in fact, except the father or the son of
" him that performeth them."

Vignette : The god Ra, hawk-headed, with the solar
disk upon his head and the symbol of life on his knees,
seated on the emblem of " truth " f — 1, in a long boat,
which rests upon heaven. On the port bow is the amulet of
the utchat, and in the boat itself is a huge disk, presumably
that of Ra. In the older papyri, e.g., the Papyrus of
Nebseni, this Boat of Ra is filled with the figures of the
gods Shu.Tefnut, Keb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Hathor,
and perched on the prow is the hawk of Horus, wearing
the White Crown and holding a whip. In the Turin
Papyrus the Boat contains the hawk of Horus and nine
gods, and behind them is the huge disk. In the Nebseni
Papyrus the deceased stands in adoration outside the Boat,
but in the Turin Papyrus he stands in the Boat itself.

Text : [Chapter CXXXIV.] A Hymn of Praise
TO Ra on the day of the month wherein he saileth
IN THE Boat. This title shows that the Chapter was
intended at one time to be recited on the first day of the
New Moon, but in several old papyri it is entitled " Another
Chapter of making perfect the Spirit-soul." The object of
the recital of the Chapter was to destroy the enemies of
Ra and of the deceased. In the opening lines is a very
interesting allusion to the Legend of Horus, who in later
days was identified specially as the Solar-god of the town of
Behutet, or Edfu, in Upper Egypt. It will be remembered
that in very early times, when Horus had inflicted
several defeats on the enemies of his father Ra, large
numbers of these enemies succeeded in escaping, and, by
means of magic, in taking the forms of birds, animals, and

X 2

300 The Papyrus of Ani

reptiles, i.e., crocodiles, etc. Horus, however, penetrated
their disguises, and pursued them relentlessly, and slew
them. This same Horus is seen in the Boat of Ra in the
Vignette, and the recital of this Chapter by Ani secured for
him the protection of the god. According to the Rubric
the words of the Chapter were to be said over a plaque, on
which were painted figures of Horus and the gods already
mentioned, and a figure of the deceased, seated in a boat,
or over a model of the Boat of Ra in which figures of the
gods were placed ; if this were done the deceased would be
able to travel with the Sun-god everywhere.

Vignette : A ladder.

Text: In the Papyrus of Ani there is no text given
with the Vignette of the Ladder, and in the Theban
Recension of the Book of the Dead there is no Chapter of
the Ladder, although there are several allusions to the
Ladder. Thus in Chapter XCVHI, the deceased Nu
says : " The god Shu hath made me to stand up, the Light-
" god hath made me vigorous by the two sides of the
" Ladder, and the imperishable stars make me to advance
" and lead me away from slaughter." In Chapter CXLIX
(Aat XI) he says : " I rise up like Ra. I am strong like the
" Eye of Horus. My heart, once brought low, is now
" made strong. I am a spirit in heaven, and mighty upon
" the earth. I fly like a hawk, I cackle like the Smen goose,
" and I alight by the Lake of the Thigh. I stand up and
" sit down by it. I rise up like a god, I eat food in the
" Field of Offerings, I advance to the realm of the Star-
" gods. The doors of Maat are opened to me, and the
" doors of the sky are unbolted before me. I set up a
** Ladder to heaven [to ascend to the gods], and I am a
" divine being among them." And in Chapter CLIIIa
(lines 34, 35) it says : " The Osiris Nu, whose word is truth,
" appeareth upon the Ladder that Ra hath made for him,
" and Horus and Suti hold him tighdy by the arm [as he
" ascendeth it]."

The belief in the Ladder as a means of reaching heaven
is very old, and a tradition existed among the Egyptians
which stated that Osiris himself was obliged to ascend into
heaven by a Ladder. Ra stood on one side of it and
Horus on the other, and they lifted Osiris up the Ladder

The Ladder to Heaven 301

step by step.^ Among the texts cut on the walls of the
Pyramid of Pepi I (1. 192 f.) we find a version of the
Chapter of the Ladder, which reads : " Homage to thee,
" O divine Ladder ! Homage to thee, O Ladder of Set !
" Stand thou upright, O divine Ladder. Stand thou
" upright, O Ladder of Set. Stand thou upright, O Ladder
" of Horus, whereby Osiris appeared in heaven when he

" used the words of power of Ra Pepi is thy son,

" Pepi is Horus. Thou hast begotten Pepi even as thou
" hast begotten the god who is the Lord of the Ladder.
" Give thou unto Pepi the Ladder of the god [Horus], give
" thou unto him the Ladder of the god Set, whereby Pepi
" shall appear in heaven, when he hath made use of the
" words of power of Ra. Hail, thou god of the Kau
" (Doubles) who advance when the Eye of Horus soareth
" upon the wings of Thoth on the eastern side of the Ladder
" of the god. Hail, ye who desire that your bodies shall
" go into heaven. Pepi is the Eye of Horus, and whenso-
" ever the Eye of Horus directeth itself to any place where
" he is Pepi goeth by its side. Hail, brethren of the gods,
" rejoice ye, for Pepi journeyeth among you. The brethren
" of the gods shall be glad when they meet Pepi, even as
" Horus is glad when he meeteth his Eye, which he placed
" before his father Keb. Every god and every Spirit-soul
" reach out their hands to Pepi when he appeareth in
" heaven from the Ladder. Pepi needeth not to plough
" or to collect offeringrs, and he needeth not to gro to the
" Hall in Anu (Heliopolis), or to the Tuat Chamber in
" Anu ; for that which he seeth and that which he heareth
" shall feed him and nourish him when he appeareth in
" heaven from the Ladder. Pepi standeth up like the
" uraeus on the forehead of Ra, and every god and every
" goddess stretch out the hand to Pepi on the Ladder.
" Pepi hath collected his bones, and gathered together his
" flesh, and he hath gone speedily into heaven by means of
" the two fino;ers of the crod of the Ladder."

According to the text of Pepi H (11. 975 ff.) the sides of
the Ladder were cut into shape by an adze wielded by
the god Sashsa, the rungs were made of the sinews of
Kasut, the Bull of the Sky, and they were fastened to the

^ Text of Unas, I. 579.

302 The Papyrus of Ani

sides of the Ladder by thongs cut from the hide of the god
Utes, the son of Hesat. Elsewhere we read^ that the
Ladder was carried by Khensu, Aahes, Tetun, and Sept,
who set up the Ladder for Pepi, and who made it to stand
firmly. The gods mentioned in the last extract are gods of
the South, or Sudani gods, a fact which suggests that the
legend of the Ladder reaching from earth to heaven is of
Sudani origin. When Osiris ascended the Ladder " he was
" covered with the covering of Horus, he wore the apparel
" of Thoth, Isis went before him, Nephthys followed behind
" him, Upuatu opened out the way (i.e., cleared a path) for
" him, Shu bore him up, the Souls of Anu drew him up
" the steps, one by one, and the goddess Nut gave him her
"hands" (Pepi I, 1. 256). In primitive times it was
customary to place models of the Ladder of Osiris in the
tombs, so that the souls of the dead might have the means
whereby they could ascend to heaven, provided that they
were properly equipped with an adequate knowledge of the
name of the Ladder, and of the words of power that were
necessary to make it to raise itself up and to stand firm.
In later times, when the custom had fallen into disuse, the
scribes seem to have painted figures of the Ladder on
coffins and papyri, but whether with or without the text of
the Chapter of the Ladder cannot be said. The Ladder in
the Papyrus of Ani is a very interesting proof of the survival
of the belief in the efficacy of a picture of the Ladder in
the Theban Period.

PLATE XXIII

Vignette : The scribe Ani, arrayed in white apparel,
kneeling upon one knee, and with his hand raised in
adoration of the gods of : —

1. Anu (Heliopolis), Temu, Shu, and Tefnut.

2. Tetu (Busiris), Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, and Heru-

netch-tef-f

3. Sekhem (Letopolis), Heru-khenti-en-ariti, and Thoth.

4. Pe-Tep (Buto), Horus, Isis, Kesta (Mesta), and

Hapi.

5. Taiu-Rekhti, Isis, Horus, and Kesta (Mesta).

6. Abtu (Abydos), Osiris, Isis, and Upuatu.

7. The Judgment of the Dead, Thoth.

^ Pepi I, 1. 200 = Pepi II, 1. 936.

The Gods in the Train of Osiris 303

PLATE XXIV

7. The Judgment of the Dead — continued. A man-

headed god and a jackal-headed god.

8. The ploughing of the earth, three man-headed gods.

9. Nerutef, Ra, Shu and Tefnut (?), and Beba.

10. Rasta, Horus, Isis(?), a god with a short beard.

The above are the gods of the great towns of Egypt
which are enumerated in Chapter XVIII, arranged in a
row ; they have already been given in groups in Plates XIII
and XIV. The artist has omitted some of the gods given
in the earlier copy of the Chapter, and has modified the
forms of some so much that they cannot be identified. The
text says that the gods of Nerutef are Ra, Osiris, Shu, and
Beba, but the artist has painted figures of Ra, Shu with
a goddess, and Beba, thus omitting Osiris, and inserting
a ofoddess who must be Tefnut.

Text : [Chapter XVI 1 1.] Without title in the Papyrus
of Ani. The Rubric is given on Plate XXIV, and shows
that the object of the Chapter was to make the deceased to
come forth by day, after death, whensoever he pleased. It
enabled him to walk about on earth, to make his escape
from any fire which might break out on his path, and to
prevent him from being assailed by any evil circumstance
incidental to his condition for ever and for ever.

Vignette : The scribe Ani and his wife Tutu, both
arrayed in white linen apparel, standing before three gods,
who are seated on a mat, which is spread on the roof of
a low sepulchral building. The other papyri of the period
of the Papyrus of Ani have four gods in their Vignette to
this Chapter ; sometimes they are in mummy forms with
the heads of men, and sometimes they have the character-
istic heads of the Four Sons of Horus.

Text : [Chapter CXXIV.] The Chapter of enter-
ing INTO the presence OF THE TCHATCHAU CHIEFS OF

Osiris. In this Chapter Ani says that he has built himself
a house in Tetu, the city of Osiris, and that his vassals have
ploughed his fields, or it may be that he has ploughed the
earth, digging into it the blood of his vassals whom he has
sacrificed to the T^t, a god who was worshipped in Tetu in
very early times, before the great growth of the cult of Osiris
that took place there under the rule of the dynasties. Ani

304 The Papyrus of Ani

next refers to the purity of the food which he has eaten ;
filth is an abomination to him, and he will not eat it, or
touch it, or even walk upon it. His food is the food_ of Ra,
and it is brought to him by the Boats of Ra, the Antchet
and the Sektet. His position among the gods is a very
strong one, and he threatens any god who may wish to attack
him that, in the event of his so doing, he shall be judged
by the "ancestors of the years," or the gods of the year,
and that Osiris shall devour him when he comes forth from
Abydos. He shall also be judged by the " ancestors of
Ra," and by the great Spirit-soul, or Light-god. Here
clearly we have an allusion to the ancient gods of the year
who were worshipped in Egypt before Osiris or Ra was
known. And Ani has the power to hold converse with the
disk and with the solar gods. He sits side by side with
Osiris, who speaks to him in the language of the gods, and
Ani replies in the speech of men. Ani absorbs the attributes
of all the gods of Anu, Tetu, Hensu, Abtu, Apu, and Senu,
and becomes the great Sahu of heaven, the counterpart ot
Osiris, and the overlord of every god and goddess in Khert-
Neter. It must be noted that the gods Kesta, Hapi,
Tuamutef, and Qebhsenuf, who presided over the safety of
his mummified intestines, also became his judges, a fact that
suggests the existence of a belief that the testimony of the
internal organs of a man might be given by them for or
against him in the Judgment Hall of Osiris, before Osiris
and his Forty-two Assessors.

PLATE XXV

With this Plate begins the series of very important
Chapters of the Book of the Dead that are known as the
" Chapters of making the Transformations." The object of
the formulae of which they are composed was to enable the
deceased to take any form he pleased, and to make himself
to appear in any guise so long as it assisted him in making
his way through Dead-land into the Kingdom of Osiris.

Vignette : A swallow perched on a conical object
painted in stripes, red and green. What this object is
cannot be said, but it is probably meant to represent the
alighting place of the swallow that carried the news of the
death of Horus and the grief of I sis to the gods.

Of Becoming a Swallow and a Hawk 305

Text : [Chapter LXXXVL] The Chapter of making
THE transformation INTO THE SWALLOW. By the recital
of this Chapter Ani transformed himself into the swallow,
which was an incarnation of Serqet, the Scorpion-goddess,
the daughter of Ra and of I sis. The swallow was a harbinger
of glad tidings, and was, and still is, welcomed everywhere
in Egypt and the Sudan. The glad tidings that Ani
proclaims is that Horus sits on the throne of his father
Osiris, and that he is the Captain of the Boat of Ra, and
that Set is bound fast, and is a helpless prisoner in the
fetters which Ani had prepared for him. Ani proclaims his
innocence and his purity of soul and body, and claims the
right to enter in among the gods because he is holy, as they
are holy. All roads are known to him, and no door is
closed to him, and as the swallow flies about everywhere in
the sunshine, so does he travel about over Sekhet Aaru.
Since I sis took the form of a swallow, and raised up Osiris
to life, Ani on taking the form of a swallow is able to
restore to life his dead body that is lying in the earth. The
soul that knew not this Chapter was doomed to remain in
Dead-land.

Vignette : A golden hawk, holding a flail or whip /\,
standing upon the symbol of gold fw^.

Text: [Chapter LXXVII.] The Chapter of making

THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A HAWK OF GOLD. The recital

of this Chapter enabled Ani to take the form of the golden
hawk, with pinions that were four cubits from tip to tip, and
plumage in colour like the precious natch stone that is found
in the South. The object of taking this form w^as to obtain
the means of flying from this earth up into the sky, and so
into the Antchet and Sektet Boats of the Sun-god. In the
form of a hawk he could fly up among the gods and take
his seat with them, and he could visit the Field of Oflerings
and refresh himself on celestial food at will. Once there he
could transform himself into a Spirit-soul, and live with the
Spirit-souls of Osiris and Ra. The celestial Grain-god
Nepra would supply him with food, and Ra would listen to
his words as to those of the Benu bird, into which the soul
of the Sun-god transformed itself The early Egyptians
believed that the souls of the just passed from earth to
heaven on the wings of the ibis of Thoth, but the later

3o6 The Papyrus of Ani

Egyptians preferred to travel thither by taking the form of
the hawk of gold.

Vignette : A green hawk, holding a whip, and standing
upon the roof of the sepulchral building called sei'ekli.

Text: [Chapter LXXVIII, 11. 1-16.] The Chapter

OF MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE GOD-HAWK.

This Chapter is at once the longest of all the Chapters of
Transformations and the most important. The object of
the recital of the Chapter was not only to enable the
deceased to take the form of any hawk, but to incorporate
himself in that very hawk in which Horus, the son of Osiris
and Isis, who was begotten by Osiris when dead, and who
was conceived and brought forth by Isis from his father's
seed, appeared on earth. Ani, and every worshipper of
Osiris, wished to become soul of the soul of Horus, heart of
the heart of Horus, and flesh of the flesh of Horus. The
attainment of this desire made Ani to be the son of Osiris
and Isis, and the son of the Sun-god Ra, his being was
therefore merged in that of the " Great God," and he
became almighty and everlasting, and the recipient of the
homage which " the gods " paid to their Overlord. He
became the Great Spirit-soul wherein all Spirit-souls lived,
and the Great Sahu, or Spirit-body, wherein all Sahu lived.
With this exalted and divine relationship Ani was not fain
to be content. The Egyptians imagined a time very far
back when the " gods " did not exist, and when neither
Osiris nor Ra had come into being. There was no heaven
and no earth, no sun, no moon, no stars, no death, and no
men and women ; and what existed was the great mass of
Celestial Waters wherein dwelt the great, almighty, invisible,
unknowable God, whom the Egyptians called Tem or Temu.
At some period unknown to gods and men this Tem created

PLATE XXVI
[Chapter LXXVI 1 1 — continued?^

a Spirit-soul and caused it to live in a creation of light

g\ m v\Jj. Now this Spirit-soul proceeded
from the "eye of the Lord One" ""^zz^ 1 jj, and

it was the essence of Tem and his very being, and it was

Of Becoming a Serpent and a Crocodile 307

the source from which sprang the Light-god, whose visible
emblem was the sun, or the god Ra. With this primeval
Spirit-soul, the emanation of God, Ani declares his identity,
and he asserts boldly his direct descent from God, adding :
" When as yet I sis had not given birth to Horus, I had
" sprouted and flourished, and I was the greatest of all the
" Spirit-souls who had come into being with the Spirit-
" souls, and I was older than they." Horus [the Elder]
provided this primeval Spirit-soul with a Spirit body,
leaving his own soul inside it, and in later times it dwelt in
Horus, the son of Isis, and reigned jointly with Osiris in the
Tuat. Thus, the recital of this Chapter was believed to
make the deceased to become a part of the being and
substance and essence of God, and a fellow-god with Osiris,
Horus, and Ra, and the equal and companion of the kings
of Egypt in the Tuat.

PLATE XXVII
Vignette : The serpent Sata, with human legs and feet.
Text: [Chapter LXXXVII.] The Chapter of

MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE SERPENT SaTA

(i.e., the Son of the Earth). The recital of this Chapter
enabled Ani to acquire the power of the serpent Sata to
cast its old skin, and to appear in a new one. It is
impossible to identify the particular serpent typified by Sata,
but there must have been some physical characteristic in
the creature which caused it to be associated with new birth
and a rejuvenated body. As the text refers to the number of
its years we may assume that Sata was one of the longest-
lived serpents.

Vignette : A huge crocodile lying upon a pylon or
doorway.

Text: [Chapter LXXXVHL] The Chapter of

MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A CROCODILE. In this

Chapter Ani identifies himself with the Lord who was
worshipped in Sekhem, a town in the Letopolite nome of
Lower Egypt, and with the Great Fish, who lived in Kamur,
a town in the Athribite nome in Lower Egypt, thus
acquiring the power of striking terror that has always been
associated with the crocodile. The object of his taking
the form of the crocodile was to enable him to traverse

3o8 The Papyrus of Ani

the Nile, or any stream, without danger to himself. The
crocodile has always been w^orshipped in Egypt and the
Sudan, and as late as the reign of Muhammad 'Ali a sacred
crocodile was kept in a tank at Khartum and venerated by
the people there. On the Blue Nile until quite recently the
natives believed that by means of magic men could be
transformed into crocodiles, and so have the power of
crossing the Nile at will. At the present day the genitals
of the crocodile find ready purchasers, who cut them up
into small pieces and sell them as an aphrodisiac. In very
early times the crocodile was considered to be a form of the
Sun-god.

Vignette : The god Ptah standing in a shrine. He is
in mummy form, and holds a sceptre in his hands, and
stands upon the cubit of Maat ; from his neck hangs the
viendt, symbolic of virility and sexual pleasure. Before the
shrine is a stand with offerings upon it.

Text: [Chapter LXXXII.] The Chapter of making

THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE GOD PtAII. This god WaS

originally a master blacksmith, but divine honours were
paid to him after his death, and eventually he was regarded
as one of the great cosmic gods, who executed the com-
mands of Thoth when he decreed the making of the
heavens and the earth. The recital of this Chapter secured
for Ani the strength of Ptah and an abundance of offerings,
and enabled him to identifiy himself with Temu and Ra.
He became thereby the Bull of the Gods of Anu, his strength
increased moment by moment, and his loins were made
strong to endure for millions of years.

Vignette : A Ram, symbolic of the Soul-god of Tetu,
i.e., Busiris.

Text : [Chapter LXXXV.] The Chapter of

MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE SOUL OF TeMU.

This Chapter formed a most powerful spell, the object of
which was to transform Ani into the Soul-god of Nu, or
the heavens ; its contents resemble those of a part of the
LXXVHIth Chapter. The Soul-god who was symbolized
by a ram was the counterpart of the primeval Soul which
Temu, the Father of all the Gods, placed in Ra the Sun-
god, and which came into being under the name of

Of Becoming Ptah and Temu 309

" Khepera." Since Ani abominates sin and lives in Truth,
he has the power to take the form of the Great Soul and to
become an emanation of the Light-god.

Vignette : A Benu bird.

Text: [Chapter LXXXIII.] The Chapter of

MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO THE BeNU BIRD. The

Benu bird, which was at a later period identified with the
phoenix, was supposed to be self-produced, and was there-
fore a type of the god Khepera, a god who was self-produced
and self-begotten. By the recital of this Chapter Ani was
able to declare that the germs of every god were in him,
and that he was Yesterday, i.e., Osiris, and that he was
Khensu, the Moon-god, who was irresistible. The allusion

to the Tortoise is not quite clear, but 1^^^^ l| ' L=/] %^ ^
\^ ^k^ •^^ seems to mean that Ani is clothed with a

garment which is as durable as is the shell of the Tortoise,
or Turtle. The Rubric, which is found in some papyri,
informs us that a knowledge of this Chapter will provide
the deceased with the food which Osiris eats, will enable
him to take any form he pleases, to travel over the earth
with Ra, to see this god daily, and to be free from the
influence of every evil thing for ever.

PLATE XXVIII
Vignette : A heron.
Text: [Chapter LXXXIV.] The Chapter of

MAKING the TRANSFORMATION INTO A HERON. Owing tO

our lack of knowledge of the views that the Egyptians held
concerning the bird figured in the Vignette, it is impossible
to say exactly what the recital of this Chapter was supposed
to effect, and what benefit would accrue to Ani from takincr
the form of a heron. The text suggests that it would pive
him power over the animals that were brought for sacrifice,
in other words, that he would be able to supply himself
with food. It also asserts that Ani has rendered service to
the dweller in Hermopolis, i.e., Thoth, that he has set the
gods in their places, that he knows Nut, the Sky-goddess,
and Tatun, a very ancient Earth-god, and the " Red
Goddess " (Teshertt), and Heka, the great god of spells

3IO The Papyrus of Ani

and incantations. As Ani proclaims his truthfulness, and
his daily progress towards Truth, it is clear that he could
never hope to take the form of the heron unless he was
sinless in word and in deed. The concluding lines of this
Chapter as found in the Papyrus of Ani did not really
belong to it, for they form the last part of Chapter LXXXVI,
which the scribe appears to have copied here because there
was no room for it in its proper place.

Vignette : A human head springing from a lotus flower
growing in a pool of water MM.

Text: [Chapter LXXXIa.] The Chapter of

MAKING THE TRANSFORMATION INTO A LOTUS FLOWER.

The lotus, or lily, was believed to be the favourite flower
of Ra, and to be the product of an emanation of that god.
The flower here referred to is, however, the celestial lotus,
from the calyx of which the rising sun, or Harpokrates, rose
day by day. Thus the idea of resurrection was associated
with the lotus, and when Ani wished to have the power to
transform himself into the lotus, it was in order that he
might be able to give new birth to his body, and to emerge
into heaven daily like the Sun-god. In the second version
of this Chapter the lotus is said to be the symbol of Nefer-
Tem, i.e., Young Tem, who was the son of Ptah and
the goddess Sekhmet. Chapter LXXXII gave Ani the
power to transform himself into Ptah, one of the great
creator-gods, and the knowledge of Chapter LXXXI
enabled him to become the son of Ptah. The first version
of this Chapter helped him to take the form of Horus, but
Horus and Nefer-Tem were only juvenile forms of one and
the same god, i.e., the rising sun. In the older form of the
Vignette as given in the Papyrus of Nebseni, we have
a lotus in full flower, but no human head, and the text
proves that the lotus was growing in the " field of Ra," and
not in a lake or pool of water. In many papyri the
Vignette is the same in both versions.

Vignette : A seated, bearded god, with the solar disk
on his head.

Text : [Chapter LXXX.] The Chapter of making

THE transformation INTO THE GOD WHO GIVETH LIGHT

IN THE DARKNESS. The Land of the Dead contained

Of Escaping the Second Death 311

many dark places through which Ani would have to travel
before he emerged into the light of the Kingdom of Osiris,
and many souls were lost therein, and fell a prey to the
fiends of darkness who lay in wait there for the worshippers
of Osiris. To avoid this possibility Ani found it necessary
to take the form of the god who produced light from his
own person, for by this means he would be able to lighten
the dark places, and to travel through them in safety. The
words of this Chapter enabled him to identify himself with
"the orirdle of Nu," from which came the liofht which
lightened heaven. He became the personification of Horus,
the god of Light, and of Set, the god of Darkness, and
could therefore emit light or remain in darkness at pleasure ;
in other words, he was master of the darkness. He had
the power to establish the light of the moon on the day of
the full moon, to hold Set in equilibrium, i.e., not to allow
him to filch away any part of the uic/iai, or Eye of the
Moon, and to equip Thoth in his struggle with Set, when
he should pursue Set, and make him to restore the Eye,
which he stole month by month and swallowed. The
recital of this Chapter enabled Ani to merge himself in the
substance of the Moon-god, i.e., Osiris, just as the recital
of Chapter LXVIH enabled him to merge his body and
dual-soul into those of Temu, the primeval god, the creator
of the universe, and Father of the Gods.

PLATE XXIX

Vignette : The scribe Ani and his wife Tutu standing
with their hands raised in adoration before the god Thoth,
who in the form of an ibis-headed man is seated upon

a sepulchral building, holding the symbol of "life" ■¥•

upon his knees.

Text : [Chapter CLXXV.] The Chapter of not
DYING A second TIME. This Chapter is of very great
interest, but is full of difficulties, chiefly because the text is
incomplete at the end ; there is a second copy of it in
a Leyden papyrus, but it is very much mutilated. According
to the text of Ani the deceased is troubled by the actions
of the Children of Nut, who have brought confusion into
everything. Not being able to understand this disorder he
applies to Thoth for an explanation of it, believing that

312 The Papyrus of Ani

this god, as the secretary of Osiris, will know all his master's
secrets. There is, however, no explanation forthcoming.
Next Ani finds himself in a place of unfathomable depth,
darker than the darkest night, and where there is neither
water nor air. Why he is there or where the place is is
not clear. After this we have allusions to Horus, and the
dweller in the Lake of Fire, and the Boat of Millions of
Years, etc., but it is impossible to fit them together in a
connected fashion with the prayers of Ani, who is supposed
to be in doubt about the continuity of his existence in the
Other World. Again he applies to Thoth, and asks him
how long he has to live. Thoth's answer is both definite
and satisfactory, for he replies : " Thou shalt live for millions
of years, a life of millions of years." The rest of the
Chapter refers to the succession of Horus to the throne of
Osiris, the departure of Set, the felicity of Ani in the Other
World, the destruction of his foes, etc. According to
M. Naville, who bases his views upon a minute study of
the Chapter as found in the Leyden papyrus, this composi-
tion contains the remains of a Herakleopolitan legend of
the Flood. Tem is supposed to tell Ani that he is about
to destroy everything that he has made by the Flood which
he will bring upon the earth. Everything shall be destroyed
except himself (Tem) and Osiris, and a very small serpent
which no gfod shall be able to see. After the Flood Osiris
shall establish his kingdom in the Island of Fire, and after
his departure his son Horus shall sit upon his throne. If
this view be correct this Chapter throws considerable light
upon the mental attitude of Ani, who ventured to suggest
by it that Thoth would regard him with such favour and
confidence, that he, the god who was the personification of
the mind of God, would reveal to him the purpose of the
Creator, and make known to him his design to destroy man
and beast by a Flood. It is interesting also to note that Aiii
could imagine Thoth promising to him a life of " millions
of years," and believe that he alone among men would
survive the death and destruction that the Flood would
bring upon the earth.

PLATES XXIX AND XXX

Vignettes : I. The scribe Ani, arrayed in white linen
apparel, standing with both hands raised in adoration of the

Of Kntering the Hall of Judgment 313

god Osiris. In front of him are altar stands and tables
loaded with offerings of every kind, which he is presenting
to Osiris ; behind him stands his wife Tutu, holding a
sistrum, a niendt, and flowers in her hands.

2. The god Osiris, bearded and wearing the White
Crown, standing inside a funerary chest or coffer, the
roof of which is surmounted by a head of the hawk that
represents Seker, the god of Death, and uraei. This chest
is symbolic of the kingdom of Seker. Osiris is in mummy
form, and his body is decorated with a sort of scale-work
design, which was probably painted on his swathings in
colours. From the back of his neck hangs a 7nendt, and he

holds two sceptres and a whip j 1 /\ in his hands,

which emerge from his swathings, and he stands upon the
cubit of viadt ^==i. The face and hands and wrists of
Osiris are painted green to indicate that Osiris is old.
Out of the point of the cubit grows a lotus flower in full
bloom, on which stand figures of the Four Sons of Horus,
viz., Kesta (Mesta), Hapi, Tuamutef, and Qebhsenuf.
Behind Osiris stands I sis, whose right arm is embracing
him ; she wears J, the hieroglyph for her name, upon her

head, and carries in her left hand the symbol of " life " ■¥■•

The chest in which the two gods stand rests upon, or is a
continuation of the sepulchral, pylon-shaped building, which
represents the tomb of Osiris.

Text : [Chapter CXXV. Introduction, or Part I.]
The Chapter of entering into the Hall of Maatl
This Chapter is one of the most interesting and remarkable
in the Book of the Dead, and it well illustrates the lofty
moral and spiritual conceptions of the Egyptians under the
XVIIIth dynasty. The ideas that it embodies are as old
as dynastic civilization, but the form in which they are here
presented is probably not older than the Xlth dynasty.
The deceased is supposed to be standing before the doors
of the Hall of Judgment, which are guarded by Anubis, and
to him he describes the various acts of piety which he has
performed, his object being to see the great gods and to
feed with them on their celestial food. He has visited
Tetu (Busiris) and Abtu (Abydos), and has taken part in
the ceremonies performed there, and he has seen the gods
of Kamur and Nerutef Anubis is satisfied that Ani knows

VOL. I. Y

314 The Papyrus of Ani

the towns and the roads in Khert-Neter, and the smell of him
is to Anubis as that of one of the gods. Before he permits
Ani to enter into the Hall of Judgment he must be certain
that Ani knows the magical names of these doors, and he
questions him on the subject. When Ani has told their
names Anubis says : " Pass on, for thou knowest [the
names]." The Introduction (Part I of this Chapter in
the Papyrus of Ani) is quite different from that found in the
other papyri of the period, and is far more suitable to
Parts II and III than the usual Introduction. In the
Papyrus of Nebseni and the Papyrus of Nu the deceased
states that he knows the name of Osiris, and the names of
the Forty-two Judges who sit with him in judgment, and he
then goes on to enumerate the sins and moral offences which
he has not committed : in short, he declares that he has not
sinned against God or man. In Part II, which is commonly
known as the Negative Confession, the deceased addresses
each of the Forty-two gods by name, and then makes to
him a categorical denial that he has committed such and
such a sin. Thus in the papyri generally the subject matter
of Parts I and II is the same, only in Part II the deceased
states the names of the Forty-two gods of whom in Part I
he professes to know the names.

PLATES XXXI AND XXXII

Vignette : The Hall of Maati, or the Judgment Hall
of Osiris, in which Ani has to address severally the Forty-
two gods who are seated in a row down the centre of the

Hall. At each end is a door i : that on the right is called

Neb-maat-heri-tep-retui-f

j<^=^, and
w I ^^

that on the left Neb-pehti-thes-inenment 'V37 ^ ^^

A^AAAA 'tea I , Over the centre of the roof, which is

crowned with a series of feathers of 7nadt and uraei arranged
alternately, is a seated deity with arms and hands extended,
the right over the Eye of Horus ^, and the left over
a pool of water fnTTTTTl . He is painted blue, and symbolizes
the primeval Water-god, who was the creator of the heavens
and the earth. He is discussed fully in connection with a
similar Vignette that is found above apart of Chapter XVII

The Weighing of the Heart 315

(see page 260). On the right, at the end of the Hall (see
Plate XXXII), are four small Vignettes, in which are
depicted :

1. The two Maati goddesses, or two goddesses of
Truth, who probably represent I sis and Nephthys. Each
wears a heavy headdress, tied round with a ribbon, and
above it is an ostrich feather, the phonetic value of which is
the name of the goddess — Maat. Round her neck is a collar,
and she wears a long light tunic reaching to her ankles.
On each wrist is a bracelet, and she holds a sceptre in her
right hand and the symbol of " life " in her left.

2. The Osiris Ani, standing with both hands raised in
adoration before Osiris, who is seated on a throne or chair
of state ; he is in mummy form, is painted white, and wears
the Atef Crown and a collar. In his hands he holds the
usual sceptre and whip. Before the god is an altar-stand
with a libation jar and lotus upon it.

3. The heart of Ani being weighed in the Balance

against the symbol of Truth fj. Anubis examines the

pointer, and Am-mit, the Devourer of the dead, is seated
by the side of the Balance ready to eat up the heart if it
should happen to be " light In the scales."

4. The god Thoth, ibis-headed, seated on a sepulchral
building, and engaged in painting the feather symbolic of
Truth. The exact significance of this Vignette is not clear.

The Forty-two gods have different faces and heads :
Nos. 1-5, 7, 8, 10, II, 13-20, 22-25, 27-34, 36, zi^ 41
and 42, have the heads of men. No. 6 has the head of
a lion. No. 9 the head of a crocodile. No. 12 has a human
head turned behind him, Nos. 21, 38-40 have snakes' heads,
No. 26 has a hawk's head, and No. 35 has the head of
a hippopotamus. In the Papyrus of Nebseni each of the

Forty-two gods is in the form of a mummy and has f)
upon his head. In the Papyrus of Anhai the gods have
the forms of men, but many have heads of animals, four

have serpent forms, and one has the form of a child %.

Very few of the names of these gods are found in the
ordinary lists of gods, and as a rule the name of each
describes his function or occupation, or some personal
characteristic. Thus we have : Usekh-nemmat " He of the

Y 2

3i6 The Papyrus of Ani

long stride " ; Fenti, "He of the nose " ; Unem-khaibitu,
" Eater of shadows " ; Neha-hau, " Stinking body" ; Set-
qesu, "Bone-crusher"; Hetch-abehu, "He of the white
teeth"; Unem-snef, "Eater of blood"; Herfhaf, "He
whose face is turned behind him " ; etc.

Text: [Chapter CXXV. The Negative Confes-
sion, OR Part II.] This composition contains a series of
forty-two addresses to the Judges or Assessors, who sit
with Osiris in the Hall of Maati. Ani addresses each g-od
by his name, and mentions the name of the place where his
shrine is, and says, " I have not committed " such and such
a sin, e.g., " Hail, Crusher of bones, who comest forth from
Hensu, I have not uttered falsehood."

[The Vignette and Text of Part 1 1 1 of Chapter CXXV
and the Rubric are wanting in the Papyrus of Ani.
A translation of the " Address which the righteous heart
maketh " to the gods in the Hall of Maati, and of the
Rubric made from the Papyrus of Nu will be found in the
Appendix to Chapter CXXV.]

PLATE :^y^\\— {continued)

Vignettes : I. A bearded man-god, Nu.

,, 2. Ra, hawk-headed, with the solar disk

on his head.

3. Hathor, in the form of a woman, with
disk and horns on her head.

4. The Wolf-god, Up-uatu, on a standard.

5. The Jackal-god, Anpu, seated.

6. A scorpion gigp holding shen Q and ■^.

7. The goddess I sis, woman-headed.

»>

„ 8. The Ram-god, Ba-neb-Tet.

„ 9. The goddess Uatchit, serpent-headed.

»»

))

»>

10. The goddess Mert, with a cluster of

plants on her head ^, standing upon
the symbol of gold piisr^.

11. The goddess Neith, in the form of a

woman, with a vase on her head.

12. The god Set, in the form of a bearded

man.

13. A god in the form of a bearded man.

I, 14. A god in the form of a bearded man.

Of Escaping Slaughter 317

Vignettes : 15. The goddess Sekhmet, In the form of
a woman having the head of a lioness
with the solar disk on her head.

„ 16. An utchat, or Eye of Horus, resting on

a sepulchral building,

„ 17. The Man-god Osiris, seated, and wear-

ing the Atef (ZroyNVi.

„ 18. The goddess Nut, in the form of a

woman, with a vase on her head.

„ 19. A bearded god in mummy form, with

a mendt at the back of his neck,

holding a sceptre | and standing on

madL
„ 20. A five-rayed star, symbolic of Sahu,

or Orion.
,, 21. Three " living uraei."

The forms of the Vignette of this Chapter vary in the
other papyri. Thus in the Papyrus of Nefer-uben-f the
deceased is seen touching his mouth with the tip of a finger
of his left hand ; in the Papyrus of Sutimes the deceased is
lassoing the top of a tet pillar (?) ; and in a papyrus in the
British Museum (No. 9950), he is adjuring a serpent, which
seems to be taking to flight. In the Papyrus of Amen-
hetep in Cairo the Vignette contains the figures of eighteen
orods.

Text: [Chapter XLII. The Chapter of repulsing

THE SLAUGHTERING KNIVES IN HeNSU. This title IS

wanting in the Papyrus of Ani.] The object of this Chapter
was to enable the deceased to escape from the slaughter
that took place in Hensu, and presumably from decapitation
and dismemberment. It seems as though the deceased
feared that he might be mistaken for an enemy of Osiris
and be slain accidentally. The only way to avoid this was
to place each member of the body under the protection of
a god or goddess, and to identify it with him or her. In
the Pyramid Text of Pepi I the composition that in later
times became Chapter XLII was metrical in character, and
seems to have been chanted or sunsj with a sort of refrain
(see the Appendix to the Chapter). In the Theban
Recension the refrain has been dropped, and the various
lines relating to the deification of the members have been

3i8 The Papyrus of Ani

grouped together, and form a middle section in the Chapter.
In the Papyrus of Ani, and in the later papyri down to
the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, this section is arranged
in tabular form, and illustrated with Vignettes. It was
very highly prized by the followers of Osiris in all periods,
for it was believed to make the deceased " a god, and the
son of a god," and to cause him to merge his being in the
" Only One, who proceedeth from an Only One." The
concluding portion of the Chapter as found in the Pyramid
Texts is totally different from that of Chapter XLII in the
Theban Recension.

PLATE XXXIII
Vignette : A Lake of Fire or of boiling water, from
the four sides of which fire or boiling steam [ ]\ rises. At
each corner a dog-headed ape is seated.

Text : A Rubric which, after referring to the state of
physical comfort in which Ani shall live in the Other World,
and to the abundant supply of offerings that shall be made
to him, goes on to order that a picture of a table of offerings
be drawn upon a clean plaque, which shall be buried in a
field whereon no swine have trodden. If in addition to this
picture the text be written upon the plaque, his children's
children shall flourish upon earth, and he himself shall live
with the Followers of Osiris and with the Kings of Egypt,
and he shall sit at meat with the grods.

In the Papyrus of Nebseni we find the Vignette placed
among the text of the Third Part of Chapter CXXV, of
which it seems to be an integral part ; on the other hand,
there is no reference to a lake of fire in the text, nor to the
Four Holy Apes. As regards the Rubric it is found at
the end of Chapter CXXV (see Naville, op. cit., Bd. I,
Bl. 139), and it is then clearly to be considered a part of
Chapter CXXV. Thus there seems to be good reason
for assuming that both the Vignette and the Rubric in the
Papyrus of Ani belong to Chapter CXXV, although the
Chapter of the Deification (or Assimilation) of members is
inserted between them and the Negative Confession. Some
scribes, however, place the Vignette with a different text, and
treat them as a separate Chapter, namely, Chapter CXXVI.
This is the case in a papyrus in the British Museum

The Tet Amulet 319

(No. 99i3 = Naville A^) where we have the Address to the
Four Holy Apes written in the upper part of the papyrus,
and the Vignette with figures of the Four Apes and the
Eight Uraei in the lower. In the Turin Papyrus the
Vignette stands above the text of Chapter CXXVI (Address
to the Apes), and a figure of the deceased is seen praying
to the Apes. If we regard these instances as conclusive
we must assign the Rubric in the Papyrus of Ani to
Chapter CXXV, and assume that the Vignette is really
that of Chapter CXXVI, and that the scribe has omitted
the text of the Chapter.

Vignette: The amulet of the u. Various theories

have been enunciated about the tet. It has been described
as the roof-tree of a house, the four bars representing four
branches that stretch out from the trunk, one to the south,
one to the north, one to the west, and one to the east.
Some have said that it represents a mason's table, and
others have called it the " key of the Nile," but the most
probable explanation of all is that it represents some part of
the body of Osiris. Many peoples and tribes in Africa
have been in the habit of preserving carefully a bone
belonging to the body of some great or beloved ancestor,

and there can be little doubt that the u is a conventional

representation of a part of the backbone of Osiris, namely,
the sacrum bone, which, on account of its proximity to the
sperm bag, was regarded as the most important member of

his body. The oldest forms of this bone are '^^ and ~\^ •
Now if we set this sign upon a stand we have [] , which
was modified later into h. In the period when the
Theban Recension of the Book of the Dead was made, the
u may have represented the whole of the backbone of

Osiris, for it is said — — ^

"thy backbone is to thee, O Still-

heart, thy neck vertebrae are to thee, O Still-heart ! " It
will be noted that the determinative of the word for

" backbone, " /£7i-/ —*— , is"^, which could easily be, when

320 The Papyrus of Ani

set upright, i, confused with u. The tet bone or bones

came to be regarded as a very powerful amulet at a
very early period, and under the Middle and New Empires
models of it were made of gold, glass, faience, and sometimes
of lapis lazuli, and of wood, painted black. Large wooden
models of the tet are often found in the wooden hands that
lie on the breasts of anthropoid coffins, and under the later
dynasties large figures of the tet were painted on the
bottoms of coffins, either inside or out. These are some-
times between five and six feet long. A fine collection of
tet amulets is exhibited in the Fourth Egyptian Room in
the British Museum.

Text: [Chapter CLV.] The Chapter of the Tet
OF Gold. This Chapter was a mighty spell that enabled
the deceased to rise up, and, because he was provided with
his backbone and his neck vertebrae, to stand in his place
on his feet ; in other words it effected his resurrection. In
the miracle plays that were performed annually at Abydos
and other towns in Egypt the "setting upright the tef and
placing the head of Osiris upon it was the most important
scene, and it indicated that the body of the god had been
reconstituted, and that he had risen from the dead. It is
interesting to note that the tet referred to in the Chapter is
made of gold. This metal was believed to possess great
and peculiar properties, because the blood of the Sun-god
was made of gold.

Vignette : The amulet Tet, which has been commonly
called a " buckle " or " tie," but there is no doubt that this
figure really represents the uterus of Isis with the adjacent
organs. That it was supposed to possess very great power
is proved by the large number of models of it which are
found in all important Egyptian collections. It is usually
made of red or reddish stone, red glass, red porphyry, etc.,
and large models of it made of painted wood are found in
the wooden hands that lie on the breasts of anthropoid
coffins. Thus the deceased went into the Other World
bearing in his hands symbols of the principal generative
organs of Osiris and Isis, the great Ancestor-god and
Ancestress-goddess of Egypt.

Text: [Chapter CLVL] The Chapter of a Tet of
CARNELiAN. The object of the recital of this Chapter is

The Heart and Pillow Amulets 321

clear. It brought to Ani the protection that was to be
derived from the blood, and magical knowledge, and
utterances, and words of power of I sis, and kept away from
him every being or thing that was an abomination to him.
When a carnelian model of the Tet was on his neck,
especially if the words of this Chapter were cut upon it, it
was as if the very life-blood of I sis were present there, and
his resurrection was assured.

Vignette : A human heart.

Text : [Chapter XXIXb.] The Chapter of a heart
OF CARNELIAN. This is one of the three versions of this
Chapter, of which two have already been described. By the
recital of this Chapter Ani identified himself with the Benu
bird, which was the incarnate form of the heart of Ra, i.e.,
he became the heart of the Sun-god. He could then
perform the labours of Ra, and direct the gods, who were
forms of him. Since their Heart-souls came forth on earth
to carry out the orders of their Doubles, Ani sees no reason
why his Heart-soul should not come forth to do the will of
his Double. This Chapter well illustrates the relationship
that existed between the physical heart, which was the seat
of the Heart-soul, and the Ka, or Double, which directed
the desires and inclinations of the Heart-soul.

Vignette : An African pillow, or head-rest.

Text: [Chapter CLXVI.] The Chapter of the
pillow, which is to be placed under the head of the
Osiris Ani to ward off evil from the dead body
OF the Osiris. The recital of this Chapter caused the head
of Ani to be lifted up, not only off the earth but into the
horizon, and, according to the fuller version of the
Chapter that is found in the Papyrus of Nebseni, it secured
for him the services of Ptah, the Master-craftsman who
built up his body anew, and also of Horus, the son of
Hathor, and of the Fire-goddess Nesert. The last-named
goddess would supply his body with heat, and Horus would
prevent his head from being cut off during the slaughters
that took place from time to time in Khert-Neter. Since
Ani had power to lift up his head in that region, it followed
as a matter of course that all his enemies were destroyed.

322 The Papyrus of Ani

PLATES XXXIII {continued) AND XXXIV

Vignette : A general view of the mummy-chamber
shovvinor the figures of the orods and the amulets that
protected Ani's mummy. In the centre of the chamber
stands the bier, with a canopy, on which the mummy lies,
and beneath it are the vases that hold Ani's mummified
internal organs ; only three vases are shown instead of four.
By the left side of the mummy stands Anubis, who is resting
his hands upon it in an attitude of protection. At the head
of the bier kneels Nephthys, and at the foot I sis ; each
goddess is leaning forward with her hands resting on Q,
the symbol of " eternity." In a space at each of the two
top corners is a figure of the Heart-soul of Ani in the form
of a man-headed hawk standing on a funerary building, or
his tomb. At each of the four corners of the inner rectangle
stands a bearded god in mummified form ; these represent
the Four Sons of Horus, Kesta (Mesta), Hapi, Tuamutef,
and Oebhsenuf, and they stand there to protect the internal
organs of Ani, which are in the four jars. Now, we know
from Chapter CXXXVII, which treats of the " four blazing
torches" (for the full text and translation see Vol. II,
Appendix at end), that an amulet was placed in a cavity
of each of the walls of the tomb to protect the mummy
from any enemies that might approach that wall to do
harm to the mummy. Thus a tei of crystal was placed
in the West wall, a figure of Anubis in the East wall, a
shabti figure in the South wall, and a reed, to represent a
palm, in the North wall. Each of these objects was placed
upright in a brick made of crude mud, and then set in a
cavity, which was walled up. In the Vignette in the
Papyrus of Ani we see the tet at the top of the plate and
the figure of Anubis at the bottom ; on the right hand is a
pot of burning incense °^, which here represents the reed,
and in the bottom left-hand corner is the shabti figure,
standing below a second pot of burning incense. As to this
being the shabti there is no doubt, for close by it is written
the text of Chapter VI, which was commonly cut upon
ushabtiu figures. Thus, the artist made a mistake, and put
in two pots of burning incense instead of one, and moved
the shabti from its proper place. Having made this blunder
he committed another for the sake of giving the Vignette a

The Egyptian Heaven 323

symmetrical appearance, and placed another shabti figure in
the right-hand bottom corner. And the scribe added a text
in which this figure is said to be a " perfect Heart-soul."

Text: [Chapter CLI. Without title.] The text of
this Chapter consists of a series of addresses to the mummy,
which are supposed to be spoken by the gods and the
amulets. Thus we have : (i) Address of Nephthys ;
(2) Address of Isis ; {3-6) Addresses by the Four Sons of
Horus ; (7-1 1) Addresses by the Tet, Anubis, the two reeds
with burning incense, and the Shabti figure; (12) Speech
by the "Perfect Heart-soul"; (13, 14) Short forms of
praises by the two Heart-souls. In the twelve addresses
enumerated above the gods and amulets assure Ani that
they are there ready to protect his body, and to drive away
from it any devils that may wish to destroy it, or to do it
harm. In the Second Egyptian Room of the British
Museum is exhibited a set of the four amulets, which were
taken from the four walls of a tomb, and are very much like
those represented in the Vignette of this Chapter as given
in the Papyrus of Ani.

Vignette I : Ani and his wife standing before a table
of offerines.

^t>'

PLATES XXXIV {co7itinued) AND XXXV

Vignette 2 : The Sekhet-Hetepet, i.e., " Field of
Offerings," or the Elysian Fields of the Egyptians. It is
supposed to be in the sky somewhere, but the idea of this
place was suggested by some very fertile spot, either in the
Southern Sudan or in the Delta. The following scenes
are represented : —

1. First Register : i. Thoth, the scribe of the gods,
holding his reed and palette, introducing Ani into the
Sekhet-Hetepet, according to the decree of the Great
Company of the Gods who sat in judgment on him at the
weighing of his heart.

2. Ani, dressed in white apparel, as upon earth, standing
before three gods to whom he presents a libation vessel, or
a pot of incense ; the first god has the head of a hare, the
second that of a serpent, and the third that of a bull. With
the exception of the last, these three gods have the forms

324 The Papyrus of Ani

of those which guard the First Arit of the Kingdom of
Osiris. See Chapter CXLVII.

3. Ani seated in a boat, which is protected by the utchat
■^^ and contains a table of offerings ; he appears to be
takino- this to the o-od at the end of the reoister. The boat
is similar in form to that in which Ra travels.

4. Ani, with one arm extended as if in the act of
addressing a god.

5. The hawk of Horus standing on the serekh.

6. A god in mummy form standing upright; before him
is an altar-stand on which are a libation vessel and a lotus
flower. This god may be an ancestor of Ani, his father or
grandfather.

7. Three ovals, which represent lakes. These have no
names in this Vignette, but in the Papyrus of Nebseni they
are called Urti, Hetep, and Oetqet. Originally they appear
to have been small islands. The two short lines of hiero-

glyphs read ^ |^=^ ^ i| 4^ m ^ r' ^-ing
in Sekhet-Hetepet [with] air in the nose."

II. Second Register: i. Ani reaping wheat, with the
w^^^^ "^T^"^ "the Osiris reapeth."

2. Three oxen treading out the corn on a circular piece
of ground with a raised edge to prevent the grain from
being scattered. Ani is urging round the oxen with cries
and the flourishing of a whip.

3. Ani standing with both hands raised in adoration.

4. A bird on a perch, symbol of " abundance," or the
Nile-god.

5. Ani, holding the khei'p sceptre, symbolic of his high
rank, kneeling before two large heaps of grain, either dhura
and wheat, or dhura and barley. The words U li U

"^^ ^^ ^, seem to indicate that the grain is the food of

the Kau and Khu, i.e., of the Doubles and Spirit-souls.

6. Three ovals, which represent three lakes ; in the
Papyrus of Nebseni the lakes are four in number, and they
are called Nebtaui, Uakha, Kha, and Hetep.

The Egyptian Heaven 325

III. Third Register. Ani ploughing [lu '^^'^

with a yoke of oxen in Sekhet-Aanru \^{\{\ (I ^^
''^^^^^^*I, a division of Sekhet-Hetepet. The hieroglyphic

text reads " Mouth of the canal (?), a stream [one thousand
" cubits] wide. Its length cannot be stated. No fishes of
" any kind Hve in it, there are no worms (i.e., serpents)

"in it"^ — l^lj^'^^I^A^^^:

^ ^ n ®^ ._ -^ ^ ^ V **«^ (j ix K_ -^

IV. Fourth Register: I. Two bifurcations of the
streams whereby two islands are formed. The upper
island is the " Birth-place of the god of the city Qenqen,"
according to the Papyrus of Nebseni ; on the lower is a

flight of steps ^ and the legend 1 "^ 111 '^^^•

2. A boat, each end of which terminates in the head and
neck of a serpent, lying at the end of a short canal. In the
centre of it is a flight of steps, and it has eight oars, four of
which were used in propelling it in one direction, and four
in the opposite direction. By the side of it are the words

"the god therein is Unn-Nefer " 1-f|-^^Ir^' ^nd the
name of a part of a canal " Ashet " [1 r-. f^:;:^- A boat,

1 I U /W>-VSA

in which is a flight of steps, floating on one of the
streams of the region ; in the Turin Papyrus it is said to
be " the boat wherein Ra Heru-Khuti sails in Sekhet-
Hetepet." " Above is written the word tchefati ^^

C3ED j| I , i.e., divine food.

V 1 _ae^ I I »

326 The Papyrus of Ani

3. At the other end of this Register are the words

I nr, — *- °^ nil ..CTj °*=*\

^ ^ ' ' "^ P ® 1 >^ P ' ^•^•' " ^^^ place of the Spirit-
" souls, who are seven cubits high. The wheat (or dhura)
" is three cubits high [and] the Spirit-bodies reap it."

Text: [Chapter CX.] Here begin the Chapters
OF Sekhet-Hetepet, and the Chapters of Coming Forth
BY Day, and of going into and of coming forth from
Khert-Neter, and of arriving in Sekhet-Aaru, and of

LIVING IN THE GREAT CITY WHEREIN IS FRESH AIR. In the

older papyri Chapter CX is very long, and it contains a
number of repetitions. The object of the Chapter was to
provide the deceased with an estate in the Kingdom of
Osiris, wherein he would live under conditions closely
resembling those under which he lived when upon earth.
The recital of the Chapter would enable him to obtain food
and drink in abundance, to plough, sow, and reap there, to
marry, to sail about in a boat on the canals, and to live a
life wholly unaffected by any personal disabilities, or by any
of the troubles that formed the necessary concomitants of
the life upon earth. Having placated Horus and Set, the
" Two Fighters," he would never be overcome by any of
the minor fiends who acknowledged Set to be their overlord,
and having triumphed over death, and put away all the
defects and the sins which appertained to his material body,
he felt confident that he would enjoy the happiness and the
bliss of life everlasting. This Chapter is quite different
from the CXth Chapter in the Papyrus of Nebseni, and
only the opening words of the second paragraph resemble
any part of the text of the older papyrus. It is probable
that the artist did not leave space sufficient for this long
Chapter, and that the scribe had only room to write down
a series of short sentences by which he strove to give the
general sense of the ancient proposition.

PLATES XXXV {continued) AND XXXVI

Vignette : The Osiris Ani, arrayed in white linen
apparel, with his hands raised in adoration, presenting the
two libation vases and the two lotus flowers, which are
placed on stands, to the god Seker-Osiris. This god is in

Of Providing Food 327

mummy form, he has the head of a hawk, with the solar

disk upon it, he holds in his hands the sceptre |, and he

stands upon the cubit of niaat. In some papyri he is called
" Osiris, lord of Tetu," and in the Turin Papyrus he is
addressed as " Osiris, Lord of Eternity, King, Lord of

Everlastingness, Great God, Governor of Akerti," jl'^ "^^^^

I ® I ll ^ Si II 5 1 f1 J> ^ ■ ^"^ '^ ^<="°'"p^"'^^

by the goddess Amentet-Nefert, or " Beautiful Amenti."

Text: [Chapter CXLVIII.] Tpie Chapter of pro-
viding THE DECEASED WITH FOOD IN KhERT-NeTER. In

the older versions of this Chapter the deceased addresses
the god who shines from his disk, and says that he knows
his name and the names of the seven kine and their bull.
Then follows a petition to the kine and their bull for cakes
and ale, and glory in Khert-Neter, and to be allowed to be
in their train, and to be born on their thighs ; and this is
followed by the names of the seven kine and their bull. In
this papyrus Osiris, the Lord of Maat, the One, the Lord
of Eternity and Creator of Everlastingness, is addressed by
Ani who says that he has made offerings to the seven kine
and their bull. The names of these are not given in the
Papyrus of Ani, but they will be found in the Notes to the
Chapter CXLVIII, edited from another papyrus.

Vignette : The seven kine, each one couchant before
a table of offerings, and each with a disk between her horns,
and a 7nendt\y\Vi<g on her back near the neck. Below them
is the bull with a table of offerings before him.

Text : An address to the seven kine and their bull.

Vignette : The four rudders or steering oars of the
Boat of Ra, each belonging to one of the four quarters of
heaven. In the Turin Papyrus each rudder has an utchai
^P: behind it.

Text : Four addresses, one to each of the four steering
oars of heaven.

Vignette : Four triads of gods, each triad with a
libation vase and a lotus on a stand before him. From the
Vignette in the Turin Papyrus it is clear that these four

328 The Papyrus of Ani

triads represent four gods only, namely, the Four Sons of
Horus, who appear there in their characteristic forms.

Text : An address to the F'ather-gods and Mother-
goddesses, who dwell in heaven and in Khert-Neter, and
who are entreated to deliver the deceased from every evil
thing that can be done unto him by men, and by gods, and
by the Spirit-souls, and by the dead. Only the opening
part of this address is given in the Papyrus of Ani.

This Chapter is one of the most important in the Book
of the Dead, for it was written with the object of providing
the deceased with animal food and milk in the Other World.
One fact in connection with it must be remembered. The
god addressed is Osiris, or one of his forms, and Osiris was
himself the Bull of Amenti ; the food therefore that Osiris is
asked to give is himself. Now the seven kine are only
incarnations of I sis, Hathor, and other goddesses, and the
milk with which the kine supply the deceased is the milk of
these goddesses ; he therefore drinks the divine milk
whereon the grods themselves live. Viewed from another
aspect the kine and the bull supplied the celestial meat and
milk upon which Ra the Sun-god lived, and the Rubric
states distinctly that if this Chapter be recited at sunrise on
behalf of the deceased, its effect will be to ensure to him a
perpetual supply of food in abundance. That a very great
mystery was associated with this Chapter is proved by the
Rubric to it given in the Papyrus of Nu, where it is ordered
that this " Book of Un-Nefer" be not recited by a man in
the presence of anyone except himself In the Turin
Papyrus (ed. Lepsius, Bl. LXIX) the Chapter is said to be

a ' very e^reat and real mystery «=x;^ ^ '^

^^ ^ -^ o I /www ]^ ^ oil

that no other (i.e., outsider) is ever to know it, ^ )

^3^6 []() / I] ' /^~^ § o ?' that it is to be repeated to no one

'"'^ ^^ ° ^ ^ I , that no eye is to see it, and no ear
to hear it '^^ f ^ '^-^ ^^^^ ~^^ ^ '--^^<^, and that
none of the dwellers in the Delta is to know it <f?^ ^

^ .A ^i^z^_ jj^g ^^^ j-j^^t taught the

The Funerary Mountain at Thebes 329

Chapter to him that recites it may be present at the recital,
as well as the reciter's dearest friend -jr ^x {11- 6 and 7),

Vignettes : The scribe Ani and his wife standing
before a table of offerings, with hands raised in adoration of
the god Seker-Osiris.

Text: [Chapter CLXXXV.] A Hymn of praise to
Osiris Khenti Amenti. In this hymn Ani praises the
Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the Prince and God of
Gods, and prays that Osiris will grant him a seat with the
followers of the god, and will permit his Ka to have
authority in the Tuat over all who are there, and to go in
and come out at will.

PLATE XXXVII

Vignette : The god Seker-Osiris, in mummy form,
standing in a funerary coffer, the roof of which is surmounted
by a hawk and uraei. He wears the White Crown, with
two plumes attached, and holds in his hands a whip /\ and
two sceptres f |. He is called " Sekri Osiris, Lord of the

Shetait shrine, great god. Lord of Khert-Neter" ^::3:^ w

Vignette : I. The Hippopotamus-goddess Ta-urt
standing upon the roof of a sepulchral building. On her
head is a pair of horns with a disk between them, and she
holds in her right fore-foot a whisk {?), and in her left,

which rests upon ¥ the symbol of the magical fluid of life,
the symbol of "life," ■¥-. Before her are two altar-stands

on which rest many offerings, cakes, joints of meat, fruit,
vegetables, flowers, etc.

Vignette : 2. The tomb of Ani in the mountain of
Western Thebes. The tomb is a rectangular building with
a cornice surmounted by a pyramid, in one side of which is
the niche in which Ani's Heart-soul rested when it returned
from the Other World to visit his body in the tomb.
VOL. I. z

330 The Papyrus of Ani

Similar niches may still be seen in the pyramids at Mercie,
and in front of one at least is a ledge on which the soul may
alight. In front of the tomb is a small portico, the roof of
which is supported by a pillar with a papyrus capital.
From a small pool or lake close to the tomb spring a
number of large flowering plants. From the mountain
itself projects the head of the Cow-goddess Hathor in her
character of goddess of Amenti. Between her horns are a
disk and two plumes.

Text: [Chapter CLXXXYI. Without title.] The
text of the Chapter is incomplete and lacks the prayers that
are found in other papyri ; only a few of the titles of Hathor
are enumerated. With these words and the accompanying
Vignettes the Papyrus of Ani comes to an end.

List of Hymns and Chapters 331

LIST OF HYMNS AND CHAPTERS IN
THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

Hymn to Ra, ^ ll ; ^

C^ 7j(

Hymn to Osiris Un-Nefer,

Chapter

I .^

1 1 1

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VI [Without title]

VIII

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Plate
I

V. VI

^?fTk

VOL. I.

XXXIII
XVIII

XVIII
2 A

332

The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter
X

I I I

Plate
XVIII

^^llk^JZk

XVIII-XXI

XVII

^ks

is^ra

^^^^ka

VII-X

[A large section omitted.]

XVIII Introductions (A and B), text ^ A-

J, and Rubric. [Without title]

XII-XIV

XVIII Duplicate copy, without Introduc-

tion, but with Rubric. [Without
title]

XXIII, XXIV

XXII

XXIII

^''•^ ±il o fU^

XXVI

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Chapter
XXVII

List of Hymns and Chapters

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333

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XXIX B , V I ^

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XXX B Duplicate copy. [Without title]

III

XLIII

XLIV

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334

Chapter
XLVIII

The Papyrus of Ani

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LXXIV *T*:^tiS ^ ,■■■_

LXXVII

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Plate
XVIII

XVI

XVIII

XXV

XXV, XXVI

List of Hymns and Chapters 335

Chapter
LXXX

LXXXI
LXXXII

Lxxxrv

LXXXV

LXXXVI

LXXXVII

LXXXVIII

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336

The Papyrus of Ani

Chapter
XCIII

Plate
XVII

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Part I.

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CXXXII

An Introduction to the " Negative
Confession " peculiar to the
Papyrus of Ani

Part II. The "Negative Confession," XXXI, XXXII
i.e., a series of Forty-two negative
statements made by Ani to the
Forty-two Judges who sat with
Osiris in the Hall of Maati

Part III. [Wanting in the Papyrus
of Ani]

Rubric. This is placed under the
Vignette of Chapter CXXVI

Vignette only

XXX

XXXIII
XVIII

■<E>-

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c^^''"' ^^^?

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XXI

List of Hymns and Chapters

337

Chapter
CXXXIII Rubric

Plate
XXII

CXXXIV ic

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XXII

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CXLVIII Of the giving of food to the Spirit- XXXV, XXXVI
soul in Khert-Neter, and of
delivering him from all evil things.
[Without title in the Papyrus of
Ani]

CLI The plan of the Mummy-chamber. XXXIII, XXXIV

[Without title in the Papyrus of

Ani]

CLV I tt I Jf ^'^^^^ ri=n

XXXIII

CLVI

CLXVI

I ^

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CLXXV I .

CLXXXV ^

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XXXIII

XXIX

XXXVI

CLXXXVI [Without title in the Papyrus of
Ani]

XXXVII

NEW Y/RK UiJiVERSITY

wnsiiiiiGicfi mm

• U'JRArtY •

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI:
REPRODUCTION IN ^^
COLOURED PLATES

VOL. I. 2 A 2

THE BOOK OF THE

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

I — Vignette : Ani,
"Scribe of llie Sacred
Revenues of all the gods
of Thebes" and admini-
strator of "the Granaries
of the Lords of Abydos,"
and his wife Tulu before
a table of olTerings of
meal, cakes, fruit, (lowers,
etc

7Vv/: Hymn inhonour
of the sun-god Kfiathis

I ^

^'^^>d.

I z

isri:

!-•

i^ — • /^

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

2.— Vigttetics- (rf)Isis
and Nephthvs.the sisters
of Osiris, 'kneeling in
adoration on the left and
right of the Tat, a sym-
bol of Osiris, which sta'nds
upon the Solar Movmt
and supports the Sig.i of
Life upholding the Sun-
disk. The ornaments
upon the heads of the
two goddesses are the
hieroglyphic signs of
their names. On each
side, three cynocephaii
or dog-headed apes, the
transformed openers of
the eastern portals of
heaven, raising their
hands in ;idoration. [b)
Ani and his wife before
a table of off(;rings.

Text : Invociition to
Osiris.

17 18 16 14 13 12 11

21 22 23 24 25 30 29 28 27 26

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

3, — Vi(^tictte: Above,

order, as judges, before
a table of offerings. Be-
low, the Psychostasia,
or Weighing of the
Conscience : the jackal-
hcadcd Annbis trying
in the Balance the
heart (conscience) of
the deceased against the
feather symbolical of
Law; on the left, Ani
and his wife in an atti-
tude of devotion ; on the
right, the ibis-headed
Thoth. the scribe of tlie
gods, noting down the
result of the trial, and
behind him the monster
Amemit, the Devourer.
On the left of the bai-
ance.Shai (Destiny) with
the two goddesses Ke-
nenit and Meschenit be-
hind him ; above them,
the soul of Ani, as a
human-headed hawk, and
the symbol of the cradle.
Text: On the left, the
address of Ani to his
heart ; on the right, the
sentence of acquittal.

MINI

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

4- — I 'ignette: The prc-
si-ntation of Ani, tri-
umphant, to Osiris. The
goi[ enthroned within a
shrine; beliind him, Isis
and Neplithys ; in front,
a lotus-tlower, on which
are the four children of
llorus, ^eniiof thedead.
On the left, llorus leads
forward Ani; who again
kneels, with whitened
hair, and presents offer-
ings.

Texl : The address of
llorus to Osiris, announc-
ing the righteousness of
Ani ; and the prayer of
Ani.

L- -s^ '•gas"""^?:'

10 > S 7

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

r1^

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^

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5 —Vi<i»etle: Fu-
neral procession : the
mummy on a boat-
shapeii hearse, drawn
by oxen ; beside it
kneels the mourning
wife ; in front, a priest
olTiciates ; behind fol-

o\v mourners, z
ervants drawing

,nd

funereal shrin
bcaringarticlesforthe
lomb, among whieh is
the deceased'swriling
pallet.

Text : Chapter i uf
the Book of the Dead.

•• WW

I-&

<3>

S3t

10 1 2

RUBRIC OF
CHAP. LXXII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

6. — Vignette : Fu-
neral procession con-
tinued : ministrants
carrying sepulchral
furniture ; a hand of
female mourners. On
the right, the tomb,
in front of which
Anubis supports the
m u mmy, the mou rn i ng
wife kneeling before
it. Facing the mum-
my, two priests oHi-
ciate before a table
of offerings ; behind
them, a priest reads
the funeral service

from
shav

papyr

stbr

forward an oITering :
the calf and cowabove
symbolize the rising
Sun and Heaven.

Text: Chapter 22,
and rubric of the 72nd
chapter of the IBook
of the D(-acl.

24 25 26 27 28

29 30

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF AN!

T.— Vignelles: (a)
Ani, playing at
draughts, logctlier
wilh Ills wife, within
a hall, (h) Their two
.suuls standing above
the tomb ; in front of
them, an altar with a
libation - vase .ind
Intus-flowers. (<-)Thc
Sun disk in the solar
mount, with the ca-
nopy ofheaven above;
on either side the
lions " Yesterday "
and "The Morrow."
otlierwise Osiris and
Ka. (,l) The Heron,
identilied with Osiris ;
an altar with vase
and Intns-flower be-
fore him. (e) The

withlsisandNi-phthys
in the form of tw'in
birds ; beneath the

writing pallet, etc.

Te.xl: Chapter 17
("of the praisings and
gloril.calioi.s ol com-
ing forth and entering
in the nether-world,"
etc.) of the Hook of
the Dead.

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36 37

CHAP, XVII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

S.— l/,c;,te//es: (a)
A seated male figure,
Willi the emblem of
" millions of years"
in his right hand and
on his head ; his left
h<ind extended above
the liyeofHorus. (i)
A male figure stand-

<itli

stretched above the
lakes of " Maaat" and
"Hesmen" (natron).
((•) A pylon, or gate
with folding doors;
" The Door of the
Funeral f^assages."
(</) The !• ye of Horus
upon a [jedestal {<■}
The great cow" Meh-
urit, the Kve of Ra."
(/) A funereal chest,
surrounded by the four
children ol Horus,
with Ra rising from
it holding the Sign o(
Life in each hand

Text: Chapter 17
(continued) of the
Book of the Dead.

oil

0**e:0

-i^

SFfH

I I

iUII

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-.1 -CSa^h

73 74

CHAP. XVII.

75 76 77

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

<)—Vignetle!: (a)
l'-l':ven deitips, viz.,
Maaf.alf,Kher-beqa-f,
Heru. Khent an-maat,
ami Anubis, and the
seven gods identified
with the seven stars
of the constellation
of the Great Bear.
(b) 1 he souls of Ra
and Osiris between
two Tats, signifying
(heir mi-eting-place.
Tattn.

Tex I : C hapter 1 7
(continued) of the
Rook of the Dead.

132 133

13A

135 136 137 138 139

140

\ cat in front of a
icrsL-a tree cutting off
In- licad of a serpent,

nliolis

;tlie

un-i(od Ra slaving
hf dragon of Dark-
K'ss; the gods Hu.
d tlieir fatiier

Tmu looking on. (4)
Ani and Ills wife ador-
ioL,' the scarab-headed
god Kiiepera, of the

in the Solar Bark
floating on the heaven
with an altar and
lotus -flower before
him; two cynocephali,
spirits of dawn, with

■sta

■ the

hands in adoration,
the eye of the return-
ing sun before them.
(t) The god Tmu, the
closer of the dav,
s-aled,withinthe Sun-
disk, in the Solar
I'.ark, facing an altar
with lotus-flower, {d)
A couchant lion on a
pedestal, embower-
ed in lotus-flowers,
a,nong which is a
serpent " Uatchit the

. nbolizing
.e Dawn, and the
lame of lire.
Text: Chapter 17
ontinued) of the
00k of the Dead.

17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 e 5

10 9 876 5432 1
CHAP. CXLV!. FIRST PYLON

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

CHAP CXLVII.

FIRST ARIT

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

SECOND ARIT

THIRD ARIT

HM|i([i!wM£'i*-fii^!(!;-lEr|<?^

CHAP. CXL.VI

and his wife approach-
injj(rt) the seven gates
called Arit and (*)
the ten Pylons of
Osiris (extending into
Plate 12). I'.ach of
the Arit gates is
guarded by a Door-
keeper, a Watclier,
and a Herald ; and
each of the Pylons by
a Doorkeeper.

7V.V/ : Chapters 1 46
and 147 of the Book
of the Dead ; being
the names of the
guardians of the Arit
gate

th<

iddr

ade

by Ani to those gods.

THIRD PYLON

FOURTH PYLON

FIFTH PYLON

SIXTH PYLON

CHAP. CXLVII. CONTINUED. FIFTH ARIT

8765

4 3 2 f 9 8 7

4 3 2^7

SEVENTH PYLON

5 4 3

EIGHTH PYL<

CHAP. CXLVII. CONTINUED, FirrH ARIT

THE PAPYRUS OF AN!

SEVENTH ARIT

INTRODUCTION TO CHAP. XVIN.-A

I J — Vignettes: [<i)
Conliiiualinn of the
vignetl.s ill Plate it.
(A).\ni(wfaringsan-
dal.s) and his wife,
twicf represented,
preceded by a priest
rolled in the panther,
skin and advancing
towards two pvlons
(see Plate 13). '

Text: Chapters 146
and 147 (continued)
of the Hook of the
Dead : and invoca-
tions of the priests
and of Ani, forming
an introduction to
Chapter iX of the
Book of the Ucad,
whi.h contains the
l.ilanv of Ihoth,

8EV6NTH PYLON

CHAP. CXLVI. CONTINUED

EIGHTH PYLON

NINTH PYLON

TENTH F^LON

INTRODUCTION TO CHAP. XVIII. B

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

Iwii pylons whereby
;irf apiiriwchcd the
Korls which preside
iivercerlain localities,
twenty-three of whom
are here depicted,

Tex/: Chapter 1 8
of the Book of the
Dead.

Z9|

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

14— Vienetles :
iin'terii ol Ihe gods
\ l.oc.'ilities (con-
niicd fmm Plate .3).

Text: CliaiHcr iS
ontiiiuud; of ih.,-
uok ol the Dead.

:^^fc'

^<?* HLi feSi- ?^

,ri£r- Kr/ KT S/n

» • •

Skw

1 2

CHAP. XXIII

5 1

CHAP. X

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

fit

■'1 ^^^

rrr
it

^M^

'iMMl

^h— Vignette!.: («)
A prifst raisin}^ above
iht head of Aiii the
instrument to open
hisnn)iilli,toilUistiiite
ilii- t li.ipter " of open-
ip.K 111.' rn.nith" (/;)
Am MKiking an offer-
ing to llie jaLkiil-
litaded Anubis, to il-
lustrate the L'iinpter
"of giving his heart
to the deceased." [c-e)
Ani carrying his soul,
to illustrate "that the
sovil of the person may
not he taken from
him : " carrying an in-
flated sail, to illustrate
the chapter "of giving
air ; " and advancing
with a staff.

Text : Chapters 23,
24, 26, 30B, 61, 54, 29,
and 27. of the Book
of the Dead : opening
the mouth, bringing
words of power, se-
curing the heart, and
giving air to the de-
ceased, in the nether-
world.

2 3

CHAP. XXVII

7 1 2

CHAP LVIII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

ifi— I'igiiellfs: {a)
Ani, will, his 11,-arl
plac.-d before him,
supplicatii.nfourgntls,
to illustrate "that tlir
lirart of a persoti may
not be taken from
bim." {«, cjAniand
Ills wiff drinking vva.
ter; and Nut, the
goddess of tlie sl<y,
in the sycamore tree,
giving fruit to Ani :
to illustrate the chap-
ters "of breathing air
and seruriug water."
(./) Alii seated before
an altar, to illustrate
the chapter "of not
dying the second
death." ie) Anubis
holding the mummy
of .'\ni, to illustrate
the chapter "of not
turningto corruption."
U) A pylon, with a
heron ar>d a soul, (g)
Ani turning from the
knife and block, to
illustrate the cbapler
" of not cr)tering into
the place of divine
cxeculi')n."

Tixl ■■ Chapters 27
(continued), 58, 59,
44. 45' 46. .'!'>. and 93,
of the Hook of the
Dead.

CHAP. XL/

CHAP. XCIII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

Ani adoriiii; a Iri.idof
gods. (A) Ani.wilhhis
writing pallet in his
left liaiid, addicssing
agod.who with tiirnt:n
head is seated in a
boat, (c) Thi! soul
of Ani visiting his
inumniilied body, to
ilhislrate the cllalJler
■■ofr.-.unitihglh.-^oul
111 lh(: di-ad b„ilv."
(,/) I'lu-M.idslandnig
liclure a door-way, to
illustrate the chaplrr
"that the soul of a
person may not be
imprisoned."

Text : Chapters 93,
4,?, f>9. 01, and <)i. of
Ihr Hook of the Dead,

CHAP. UOCXIX

5 6 7 8

CHAP. XCII CONTINUED.

9 10

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

CHAP. XCII CONTINUED.

CHAP. LXXtV

CHAP. CXXXII

CHAP. X iXLVIll.

2 3 4 5

CHAP. XV CONTINUED.

9 — Viffneties: [a
i adoring the Sur
I in his Bark. {I
<riL. ' Ani and his wife.

Text: Chapter i
(continued), includin
hymn to Ra, and 1
tany to Osiris.

CHAP. XV CONTrNUEO.

LITANY TO OSIRIS

HYMN TO RA

-^ jj^HJi^l 111 IM ^lil I.I tiM>i III liii i Mil iiTTlXX

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

kl^^s^ltf^t^

20. — Vignette: Osi-
i. with the sceptre,
lil, and hook, and

Text: Chapter 15
of the Hook of the
Dead, (continued) :
Hymns to the Sun-
god.

1
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cs>T

I— A

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60 a

• • •

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ergo

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EMMt£

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20 30 31 32

CHAP, XV. CONTINUED.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

2\.— Vignette : Ani
Ihe Solar Bark, ador-
g the Sun-god.
Trxt : Cliapters i 5 (con-
iiuedl and 133 of tl,e
uok of the Dead, con-
ning hymns to the
n-god.

CHAP. CXXXIIl,

16 17 18 19 20

CHAP. CXXXIII. CONTIMUED. RUBRIC

23 24

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

22. — Vignettes: The
Sun-god in his Bark.

Text ; Chapters 133
(continued) and 134 of
the Booli of the Dead.

At the end of the
Plate is the ladder or
flight of steps by which
the soul passes to visit
the body in the tomb.

CHAP. CXXXIII. CONTINUED.

CHAP. CXXXIV.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

I i

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THE BOOK OF THE DEAD THE PAPYRUS OF AN!

23. — Vi^netie: Ani
aiioring tlie Powers
.if Localities, twenty
(»f whom arc here
depicted (see Plates
'3-'5)-

Text: Chapter tX
(repeated) of the Book
of the Dead.

CHAP. XVIII.

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

24 — Vignettes
(//) Eleven of the
Powers of Locali-
ties (continued from
Plale 23). [b) Ani
and his wife adoring
a triad of gods. .

Text : Chapters
18 (continued) and
124 of the Book ol
the Dead ; the latter
(iescrihing the de-
i-eased's triumphant
progress an-i state
..( bliss.

CHAP. XVIII CONTINUED

CHAP CXXIV

CHAP. LXXXVI

CHAP, LXXVM

CHAP. LXXVII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

^fliits

^^/!£#

1 iiiY

I 1 1

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7S (continuec
Book of the 1

CHAP. LXXVIII CONTINUED-

t • I

il5

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'iiiiii^ '

1 • •

• I I

• • *

I o

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^1 "-1^

57 58 1 2

CHAP. LXXXVII

4 12

CHAP. LXXXVIII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

CHAP. LXXXVII

CHAP. LXXXVIN

CHAP. LXXXII

CHAP. LXXXV

CHAP. LXXXIN

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

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CHAP. LXXXIV

CHAP. LXXXI /

CHAP. LXXX

28 27 28 25 24 2J

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

29 — Vignelles: [n)
Ani ami his wife arlor-
ing Thoth. (h) Ani
and his wife before a
table of offerings.

Texi : Chapter 175
of Ihe Book of the
Dead i and the latter
portion of a new chap-
ter wliich begins in
I'late lo

CHAP. CLXXV

I 2.

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CHAP. CXXV

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

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30. — Vignettf. Osi-
ris and Isis within a
shrine ; before them a
lotus-flower on which
stand the four children
of Horus, genii of tlie
dead.

Text : An intro-
ductory chapter to the
Negative Confession.

CHAP. CXXV

.--,««'4!f!!f?n-";'; ■"^^■^n^ii^^^m'^^m. ;^^'.*f*^^..

I '■ -^ P "8 -^!

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

CHAP. CXXV THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION

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14 15

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

32. — Vignetti
Tlie HM of the
fold Maat (cont
from (-"late 31), !
ing the rest o
judges of the
■ ■ 1 four corr
ments, the two
desses of Law,
adoring Osiris,
Trial of the Ci
ence (see Plate 3
Thothandthel-e
of Law. (b)
twenty-three goi
whom arc sevt
assigned various
of the body.

Text : Chapter
(continued) and
of 4i (the Assi
t,on of I.imhs) o
liook of the I It a

CHAP. CXXV CONTINUED. THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

CHAP. CLV CHAP. CLVI CHAP. XXIX B. CHAP. CLXVI CHAP. CLI

CHAP. CLI cor^Tl^

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

wmmmwmmui

BoLOirnmiminEiiiiii m iiiiniiiiijmniDDiin:

CHAP, ex VIGNETTE

CHAP. CXLVIII

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

CHAP, CXLVIII

ADORATION OF OSIRIS.

CHAP. CLXXXVi.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD THE PAPYRUS OF ANI

37. — Vignettes: {a)0
Sekerwithinashrlne(ai
by Ani and his wife,
36). (4)ThegoddessH:
as a hippopotamus, cro
with the sun-disk and h
before her, a table of
ings ; behind, the Mel
Cow. symbolizing the
goddess, who gazes
from the mountain of A
la, at the foot of whi
the tomb.

Text. Chapters 14!
186 of the Book o
Dead.

CHAP. CLXXXVI.

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